Insiders and Outsiders

““Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”  -Matthew 7:13-14

“I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” -John 10:16

Have you been to a mall recently? They’re practically empty these days. Except for that time when Build a Bear offered a “pay your age” sale... My wife and I went to a mall awhile back just before most of the department stores open. We went into Belks to browse around. I noticed that all of the entrances were closed off by gates except for the one we entered through. I remember passing by these gated entrances and seeing people on the other side awkwardly staring at me from behind the gate wanting to get in.

Almost as though they couldn’t figure out how we got in. To the customers on the outside looking in, it appeared as though Belks was closed. Closed to everyone that is, except us and the few customers that came in through the one gate that was opened. I am ashamed to admit, instead of informing these puzzled seekers where the open entrance was, I just kept walking around minding my own business.

We Christians do the same thing when it comes to the eternal life we have through Jesus Christ. We are free. We are “in” with God. People on the outside are staring at us, wondering how we got in, and we avoid them when we know how to get in. If we are honest with ourselves, sometimes we treat Heaven as though it is closed off to people except for those who belong to the “in crowd”. That is unacceptable for a people who have been commanded by Christ to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Revelation chapter seven reveals that one day Heaven will be populated by multitudes of the redeemed from “every nation, tribe, people, and language”. That means the exclusion of any group of people from hearing the Gospel violates Christ’s command.

There are two sides to this story however. What is not mentioned in my story is, Belks was actually open for business. Those on the outside looking in just didn’t want to go in through the right door. Heaven isn’t closed off. The curtain has been torn, the door has been opened. We just have to enter through the right door; Jesus Christ. Our society wants Heaven to be like Burger King; “Have it Your Way.” Eternal Life isn’t have it your way, it’s “Have thine own way.”

There are not many diverse roads to salvation each catered to the individual “seeker”. There is one road, one gate, one way to Eternal Life. His name is Jesus Christ. He is not an alternative, He is the answer. All the blessings of the Kingdom of God are ours to enjoy, but we must enter through the one door that has been opened to us. That door was opened by the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross.

When it comes to Eternal Life, both those on the outside and on the inside are wrong. Those on the outside should realize that the gates to salvation and eternal life are indeed open, but they must enter through the right door; Jesus Christ. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). Those on the “inside” should realize that we should engage those on the outside and show them the way “in”.

The Walk Out

Teenagers do crazy things all the time that make us all shake our heads. I know I sure did. I remember the time, I felt it was important for me to stand up during lunch in the middle of our High School cafeteria and preach the Gospel to the students there. That action of course, led to me being dragged out of the lunch room by the school resource officer and principle... Anyways, back to my point. Like I said, students do things all the time that they feel is important but leave us “adults” shaking out heads. But I’ve never seen the actions of students cause so much anger and hostility like the Walk Out did on March 14^th. Perhaps people feel that what students did that day was hang out America’s dirty laundry for everyone to see and people don’t like it.

Their actions whether you agree with them or not, exposed a very real and troubling reality in our nation. There have been 18 school shootings in our nation since January 1. That’s embarrassing and no one wants to talk about it. This is America. We have been told that this is supposedly the greatest country in the world. I have to agree. That does raise the question however, if this is the greatest nation on the planet to live in, why then do we also have one of the highest number of school shootings?

It really does show up as a bad mark on our legacy. What students did on March 14^th was (at least from my perspective) cast a light on a very real problem in our nation. Wherever you stand on guns, kids dying almost every week in schools is an issue that needs to addressed and fixed. Kind of like domestic violence and the drug epidemic in Tyrrell County. It’s like our dirty laundry that no one wants to talk about but it needs to be addressed and fixed. Some people want to assume this is Mayberry when for so many people living here, it’s not.

We need people like our passionate students to cast a light on the issues in our community and do something about it. I’m sure everyone has an opinion on how that should be done, just as they do with gun violence. Me personally, when it comes to the violence in schools and these issues in our community, I believe the best solution is to get back to praying together as a community, preaching the Gospel with passion, and exhorting one another to study and live the Word of God.

I can only imagine the shift that would take place in the spiritual realm if churches and civic leaders in Tyrrell County set aside just one night a month to come together to pray for our community and nation. There is real spiritual warfare taking place in Tyrrell County because Satan knows that God has put great people here with powerful resources and amazing potential to make a difference in our nation and even world. All of us coming together to pray would go a long way to destroy the enemy’s plans.

It has been said, “This is not a _____ issue, this is a heart issue.” The only thing that will change people’s hearts is the Gospel of Jesus Christ reinforced by a life given to modeling the Word of God. It is time for “playing church” to stop. We need to preach and teach for life change and community transformation. This above any action, petition, protest, or even new law, is our only hope.

Making Sin Peronal

I would not have known what sin was, had it not been for the law. –Romans 7:7

            Many people have driven back and forth through this area on Hwy 64 speeding under the assumption that there is little risk of them getting caught, only to find themselves staring at blue lights flashing in their rear view mirror. Whether we admit it or not, each and every one of us have been guilty of assuming that our speed is no big deal, especially on a four lane highway.

            We mistakenly assume that since everyone else around us is driving fifteen mph over the speed limit, our transgression of the law is no big deal. That is of course, until we see blue lights flashing in our rear view mirror. All of a sudden we really could care less if everyone else is speeding too. We have become frightfully aware that we are guilty not anyone else. Our transgression of the law is no longer what everyone else is doing, it has become personal.

            It is the same when we apply God’s Law (The Ten Commandments) to our lives. At first we think, who hasn’t told a fib here and there, looked at someone lustfully, had sticky fingers, taken the Lord’s name in vain on occasion in a weak moment? Everybody does it, and so long as we aren’t hurting anybody, what’s the big deal? Then God’s Law enters the rear view mirror of our conscience. That “little fib” becomes a lie or false witness. Our sticky fingers make us a thief. Our lust becomes adultery. Taking God’s name in vain becomes blasphemy.

            All of a sudden we realize the truth that we have become guilty of transgressing God’s Holy Law by which He will hold us accountable to on Judgment Day. We tremble as we remember how God in His righteous justice is so holy that He sees lust as adultery and hatred as murder in our hearts. He has promised to not only bring justice to the murderers, rapists, and terrorists, but also to thieves, blasphemers, and even liars and hypocrites. Our behavior is no longer “what everyone else is doing”, it has become personal sin against a holy God. It seems like every time we turn around, we lose someone tragically to death. What if you’re next? Are you ready?

            Don’t assume that your sin is innocent, of no harm, and no different than anyone else’s. When death finally rips your soul from your body and you stand before God with all your actions, words, and even thoughts exposed, there will be nowhere to run and no one to blame. When the light of God’s Law reveals and casts into the open even the things you thought you did in secret, you will have to answer for your personal transgressions of God’s Law, not anyone else’s. You personally are guilty.

            When that officer of that law hands you that ticket with that hefty fine, there is a moment of finality as you sit on the side of the road. Can you imagine your reaction if before the officer drove away, a stranger pulled beside the both of you and paid your fine for you? Now you’re free to go! You would be overjoyed and grateful. That is exactly what Jesus Christ did for you when He died on the cross nearly 2,000 years ago.

            He took the punishment for your transgressions, the penalty for your crimes, He paid your fine. Now, if you repent (turn from) of your sins and put your faith in Jesus as your Savior, God will forgive your sins, commute your sentence, and dismiss your case. You will be pardoned and granted Eternal Life. You will not face judgment when you die, but an eternity in Heaven. Your sin is your own, it’s personal. Repent and trust the Savior today while your heart still beats.

It's God's Will?

Unfortunately sometimes a visit to the doctor can bring about some bad news. What started out as a minor problem ends up being a frightening diagnosis. At moments like these, it is not uncommon for us to try and find comfort by telling ourselves, “It’s just God’s will”. Not it is not... Ever. It is not God’s will for anyone to get sick. Sickness never has been, is not now, and never will be part of God’s plan for your life.

Can God teach us things through sickness? Yes. Can God use sickness to bring us closer to Christ, to mend broken family relationships, etc.? Definitely. That however, doesn’t mean that the sickness was part of God’s plan. I have made more than a few bad choices in my life. Each time, God used my failure to teach me, build up my character, and draw me closer to Him. That doesn’t mean it was God’s will for me to sin. It certainly doesn’t mean that falling into sin was part of God’s plan for my life. It means that God meant what He said in Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. –Romans 8:28

It’s the same with sickness. God may choose to work in your sickness to bring glory to Himself, to draw you closer to Him, to draw your family closer together, but rest assured, you getting sick, was never God’s plan for your life. So with that being the case, where then does sickness come from? There are a lot of ways to answer that. The simplest answer however is, sin. Specifically, the sin of Adam and Eve. When Adam and Even sinned in the Garden of Eden sickness, disease, cancer, and all other kinds of infirmity entered the world. Sickness, cancer, and disease are all part of the curse which the world is now under due to Adam’s sin. Acts 10:38 tells us that those who are sick are under the oppression of the devil.

how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. –Acts 8:38

When Jesus died on the cross, He defeated Satan’s works including sickness. One way you can know that healing can be yours today is by resting in the knowledge that this infirmity you are currently going through, is not God’s will for your life. This truth can be a turning point for you. Understanding and embracing this truth can be the starting point for you receiving your healing. Once you understand that God doesn’t want you to be sick, and that Christ came to defeat Satan’s plan for sickness, it positions you to receive from God your healing purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Not "Ready"?

          A few weeks ago, I was speaking to a gentleman about our church. I invited him to be my guest next Sunday to which he replied, “I’ll come when I get ready.” Get ready? Ready for what? As it turns out, this guy along with several people feel that they are not yet worthy enough to enter God’s House on Sunday. Although if truth be told, the church house is not really God’s House. It’s a building. That’s all it ever has been, that’s all it ever will be. We, are the house of God.

“However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says: “‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things?’-Acts 7:48-50
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? -1^st Corinthians 3:16

          There are several people who feel that they need to “get their lives together first” before they ever come to church. That means different things to different people. Some people feel they have sin in their lives they must first get rid of before enjoying a Sunday morning service. Some people feel that they need to work on their own personal issues themselves before worshiping with a congregation on the Lord’s Day. There are others, who just for whatever reason, don’t feel “ready”.

          If you share this sentiment, allow me to lovingly say to you, that you got things backwards. Waiting to “get your life together” before going to church is like waiting for the fever to break before going to the doctor. Common sense tells you that going to the doctor and getting some antibiotics is what will help the fever and the infection that is causing it, go away. That same common sense should tell you that it is by going to church and seeing the “Great Physician”, that you get your life together. I’ll let you in on a little secret; nowhere in the Bible does it say God expects you to have it all together anyways. He wants you to depend on Him, always. Not on your own understanding or ability.

          If you have got sin in your life, church is where you learn how to truly repent, leave that destructive lifestyle behind, and find true freedom. Something powerful happens when we gather together to worship. The presence of God manifests in a special way. Whatever personal issues you may be working through will be brought to healing in His presence. Not only that, our brothers and sisters in Christ can help us work through these issues.

          Now, I understand that there is another side to this conversation. Perhaps as you are reading this you are thinking to yourself, “It’s because of judgmental church people, that I feel like I have to get my life together first before coming to church!” I am sad to admit that some people have been made to feel as though they HAVE to get their lives together before darkening the door of a church. If that describes your experience with church, I apologize. I know that had to be hurtful and even damaging to your faith.

          To expect anyone to clean themselves up and get their lives together before coming to church is a complete contradiction of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. At Resurrection River, we will welcome you as you are. WE WANT TO HELP YOU BECOME MORE LIKE CHRIST, NOT MORE LIKE US. If we had to have it all together, put down every sin, have already worked through all personal issues before coming to church, then I myself should not go to church. I have my share of all of those.


          Church is a place full of people in desperate need of a savior, whether those people admit they need a savior or not. Church is where you will or at least should, encounter grace that doesn’t say “You are bad because ______!”, but instead declares, “Jesus paid it all…” I understand this religious and judgmental spirit has caused you to feel like you have to get your life together, to “get ready” before coming to church. That’s backwards. You don’t have to have it “all together”. You just have to surrender to the Savior. You’re already “ready”, just as you are.