Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.  – Hebrews 12:14

I have written an entire book on how God can and will absolutely make us holy.  Holiness is simply real deal consecration to the one true God represented in the Holy Bible.  A person who is holy acts, talks, and behaves differently than the world.  There is a lifelong process that a true Christian undergoes that makes us more and more like Jesus.  If and only if you are in this process will you see the Lord.  If and only if you are in this process, will others see the Lord in your life. 

As it stands, America has a whole bunch of people who say they know the Lord, but their actions prove otherwise.  I am here to judge no man, but I can simply write what the Bible says.  I will admit that right now, at this point in my life, I feel far away from God.  I feel super mechanical when I read His Word.  I feel like I’m selecting from 100 sets of prayers that I’ve said my whole life when I pray.  I feel like He isn’t answering my prayers fast enough.  I could go on and on about what I feel like, but that matters not one bit.  What matters is what “thus saith the Lord.”  Jesus Christ is my rock and my refuge!  Regardless of my religious activity, I place myself in His righteousness each day.  Because He is righteous, I try to act righteous.  I’m also very aware when I don’t.

Let me ask a question before I move on:  Are you really and honestly trying to live for Jesus?

I ask this because I know when I am, and when I’m not.  I also ask this because I want you to know that it is okay to answer this question with a “no,” and still be a Christian.  If I ever say “no, I’m not” I follow it up with, “Jesus, I want to live for You.  It will not happen unless You help me. Please cover me with the power of the cross and the blood that You shed for me.  Please fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I’m capable of at least looking an ounce like I’m different from this world!”  I felt a wonderful shift in my spirit by simply writing that out, because I mean it in my heart as I write it.  God is the author and finisher of my faith.  If He isn’t . . . then I’m hopeless.  I can’t save myself, and even if I could, I know that I would fail if He truly left me on my own. 

Let me ask another question before I move on:  Do you really and honestly care if someone else dies and goes to hell?

Did you know that there are a LOT of Christians who don’t believe in hell?  I know that I should have put “Christians” in quotations because if you don’t believe in hell, then you have not put your trust in the real Christ.  You have not put your trust in Christ because you don’t believe John 3:16:  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.  The word “perish” is in there.  I don’t like it being in there, but it doesn’t matter what I like . . . it matters the way things are. 

Revelation 21:8 says “the fearful, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters, and all liars – they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”  Once again, I don’t like that, but it doesn’t matter what I like.  I’ve been just about all those horrible things mentioned, but I’ve begged on my face for the Lord to make me the opposite of those things.  I gave my life to Jesus when I was 16 just because I read the “all liars” part.  I know some people may read and say, “well I don’t believe any of that.”  The verse literally includes you . . . you’re the second one on the list.  If I recognized that in me, I’d cry out to the Lord, “Help me believe, Lord . . . Please.  I want to believe.” 

As it stands right now, out of 100 people in my circle of influence, maybe 5 or 6 make the attempt to live for the Lord.  The problem with that is probably 50 or 60 think they are living for the Lord.  Yet, they are blatantly sexually immoral, blatantly dishonest in business dealings, and blatantly vile in their speech and conduct.  If you think I’m judging . . . you are wrong.  I have my own set of sins that constantly rise up in me, but I don’t openly flaunt them and say, “This is the way that God made me so He must be okay with it.”   I don’t just keep living in the sin and hope for the best.  I cry out to Him, “I’m sorry, Lord . . . make me different, make me holy!” 

America is not in a good place right now.  This is the first year of my existence that I did not want to go and watch fireworks last night.  It just wasn’t in me.  Some of my most patriotic and best feelings I’ve ever had about our country has come from being in Salem, SC watching the fireworks display and listening to Lee Greenwood.  This year, I sat and watched Gone in Sixty Seconds on television . . .probably one of the dumbest movies I’ve ever seen, not to mention a colossal waste of time.  I sit here this morning and wonder why I felt this way.  I think it is because, for the first time in my 49 years of living, all I see is polarization.  There is this side, that side, my side, your side.  We are all over the place.  We should change the pledge of allegiance to at least end with, “One Nation, with liberty and justice for all.”  Why should we do this?  Because we are certainly not a nation “under God,” and we are the opposite of “indivisible.”  I can only imagine the uproar if they took those words out of the pledge, but it doesn’t matter what we feel like . . . it matters the way things are. 

The bottom line is Christians have got to start acting like followers of Christ. 

Yes, I’m including myself!

We’ve got to get this right.

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.  – Hebrews 12:14

Lord, as I feel like I just oozed pessimism, I’m not pessimistic.  I just know that Your word says that “this world will pass away, but the word of the Lord will stand forever.”  I know that one day my little vapor that I call a lifetime will evaporate, and I’ll be with You forever.  What a day of rejoicing that will be!  I guess I just never thought I’d see the accelerated process of this world passing away with my own eyes.  Yet, I know that You can save us.  You are still in control.  You can send revival.  I know that You can do all things.  But I also feel like there are just so few workers . . . where are Your followers truly out here living for you? I can think of a handful.  Who is being the light shining in the dark world?  I can think of so few.  I also know that it doesn’t matter what I feel like, it matters what You say and what You have written for us in Your word.  I just read about Elijah feeling like I do now.  You reassured him that there were thousands who hadn’t bowed the knee to Baal.  You simply wanted him to go and pour into Elisha, the next generation, before You took him.  Help me to pour into the right people before You take me, Lord.  I certainly pray that there are tens of thousands upon tens of thousands who still think Your name is great.  I pray there are millions who would rather die than dishonor the great and the true God.  Change me, Lord.  Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me.  Do this for all who have placed their trust in You.  In a word . . . “Help!”  Amen.