Letter to Pastor Tracy

Pastor Tracy,
With what is going on today in America, morally & spiritually, it's not hard to see that people are looking for definition for living. The clear boundaries of God through His Holy Word and Spirit have become foggy & gray as the lack of knowledge of the Bible & Jesus have opened the door to progressive change from godliness led by and walking in the Spirit, to the desires of the sinful nature and the unbridled works of the flesh described in Galatians 5. So many for my Christian brothers and sisters in ministry see it, and more & more of my secular friends & family see the social chaos caused by its affect also. This lack of biblical knowledge seems to have lead to a world of the “blind leading the blind into the pit”, described in Matthew 15:14, because that which the Lord says is sin (meaning, of the Christ-rejecting world, the flesh’s natural desires & knowingly or unknowingly following Satan and is contrary to God’s word, will and way, Jesus teachings, examples & commandments, and the Holy Spirit leading) are not defined, so people are redefining their life based upon, not only what they think is "right" in their own eyes (as mentioned in Joshua 21:25), but what secular humanism propagandizes as "right", based on pagan hedonism. The lines of loving and safe boundaries for our lives, found in God's commands, statures, decrees, teachings, laws, et cetera found in His holy Word, are not only neglected & therefore not being seen clearly, but being omitted & erased from our culture. Tolerance of sin moved public opinion of Jesus from Lord and Savior to just Savior, then to a “good” person (humanizing Christ). Tolerance of sin and intolerance towards Jesus is attempting now to remove the Redeemer sent by God as Savior, in public opinion and life. Where Jesus has commissioned His followers (the born again Believer, the Children of God and citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven) to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" in Matthew 28:18-20, it is found that the secular society is the one aggressively evangelizing the world (both us and our children) to forsake God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Even some, so called, Christian denominations are saying that the Bible is NOT the defining authority on human behavior, and giving into secular beliefs over the defining Word of God. Lives are being redefined along with, and aligned with sin, and the consequences are the rejection and dismissal of God as their Creator Lord, and the Bible (their Maker's perfect will and word) no longer matters & lost souls continue to look for meaning for life and the definition of love, joy, peace, and happiness that they disparately need and desire in the “wrong places”, here on Earth, in people, places, pleasures, possessions, popularity, power, privilege and pomp. We know that God is in total control all the time, and in the end He wins, but our society is going in the “wrong” direction and needs godly guidance and guides. What are His children to be doing to make an influence on this culture today for Christ's sake on this generation? Shouldn't each and every one of us be telling everyone within our sphere of influence, and to the best of our God-given ability, about the gospel of Jesus Christ - the great Hope of mankind lost and dying in sin? This is the true place of Love, joy, peace & happiness.

Today, my goddaughter and niece are being tempted by godless people in college, to abandon what they call the "fairytale of a God" and turn her back on a faith in something that non-believer’s of God believe does not exist, including rejecting & leaving behind the people-of-faith in their life, to give themself over to the sinful nature completely. The reality of secular humanism is not something that I can ignore. To eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you die (from Luke 12;19) is the theme of the day, today, in the darkness of secular America, and they what to rid this land of the Light of Christ. I believe that every professing Christian needs to stand up, as Jesus said, and join in this “spiritual war”, in America and the entire world, for the hearts, minds and souls of those that need to find the foot of the Cross, where they will not only find their loving Lord and Savior, but the true definition of their life in Jesus Christ.

Please tell me your thoughts and opinion. I appreciate all that you do for Christ, the church and the community.
Blessings to you.
Brian

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Brian,
Ever since Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden, when we all inherited the sin nature, it has been the way that you have described. The only answer is the last Adam, Jesus; that He has redeemed us by His blood. He is the only answer and we must preach the Word, be the salt, and fight the good fight of faith. Having done all, then stand and keep on standing. Anything changing in society as a whole, or in one individual, will be the result of the Holy Spirit working through our faithfulness to be a "John The Baptist" as we speak the truth in love. When I think of these things, I think of you. So, be faithful to the call to be “salt and light” and then trust the Lord with Him changing things. We have to "enter into His rest". Just think, the Father and Son are looking down right now at their entire creation and the state of that creation and they are still "sitting on the throne." They know the end from the beginning and they are in perfect rest; they are bringing all things into perfect completion. Some things will continue to be evil and that is why there is a coming judgment. It will come, so we must continue to lead as many people as we can to the Lord.

I feel led to direct you to John 16:1-33. It will bless you with understand of the state of things, what is coming, and how we can even right now in the midst of things, "be of good cheer" (vs.33).

Bless you,
Pastor Tracy Hearnsberger
Little Church in the Pines
Bass Lake, California