NEWSLETTER 066 MESSAGE

And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.” Luke 7:44-48

Have you ever wondered about “back door” revivals? A back door revival is where people leave the church as fast as they enter it. What about all the sin issues that churches and individuals face? Why can some churches and people no longer discern between good and evil. Issues like abortion, homosexuality, capital punishment, etc. should not be controversial since the Word of God is clear. Why are they?

There are probably many reasons, but one important reason is that people come into the church with no sense of sin. They have had an emotional experience, been talked into it, or have seen it as a kind of club they join. They see Christianity as a self-improvement program or something to help them out of their current troubles. It is something they add to their lives. These kind of people have not had a real vision of who they are, they have not had a real heart conversion, they don’t know why they need a Saviour. They have never been confronted with their sin.

It is not surprising that they are uncommitted because they have never seen what is really happening. They love little because in their minds they have been forgiven little. They have not been brought face to face with the enormous offense their sin is to God. In actual fact, none of us knows how greatly we have offended and hurt God, but we must start with the acknowledgment that we HAVE sinned against God.

True repentance is shown by genuine sorrow over our sin. Without true repentance, there can be no true forgiveness. This doesn’t mean that we walk around in guilt and condemnation. We have been forgiven! Nevertheless, there is a Godly sorrow for sin that is often lacking in many modern conversions, and that leads to a half-hearted commitment. Genuine repentance means a total commitment to Christ and doing things His way. It does not view Christianity as an improvement or an add-on to an already basically good life.

Does this mean that we go around condemning people for their sin? No. Sinners liked to be around Jesus. He didn’t turn them off. He lived His faith. He accepted and loved people - sinners or not - as a special creation of God. He was a Man they could come to with their problems and He would not reject them. He would show them the Truth and lead them to true repentance and life. We don’t lead people to Christ with sugar-coated words or condemnation. We live out real lives and let the Holy Spirit do His work. We are instruments of His hands not manipulators with good intentions.
Announcements

The Joshua Club has returned at long last - but not as a membership club. I have decided that rather than spend a lot of time trying to recruit members and provide them with unique and valuable material, it is better to spend my time working on courses and reports. The Joshua Club now simply sells a license, for a small monthly fee, to use its materials. People who hold a Joshua Club License have the right to all the courses and study materials at no extra charge. They also, within certain limits, have the right to reproduce any material they want to use in their families, churches, schools, etc. For the person who only wants to take one or two courses this is not worth their while; however, for the person who wants to take many courses or who wants to use the material to teach others it is a good deal. Check out the details at www.joshua-club.com .

Also in June we began the Matthew Blog. We have also added some pages with recommended links to other sites which you may find interesting - including a place where you can download 75+ full length Christian teaching books. We really do want to enrich your life.

God bless you,
Glenn Davis
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