Since 1875, this Church has stood for the Word of God. Now is not the time to compromise. It is getting harder and harder to “do the right thing,” by which I mean doing the will of God in reliance upon the power and salvation of Jesus Christ.
There is no doubt that doing the right thing in reliance upon Christ and for the glory of Christ may bring suffering into your life. Jesus made this so very clear:
- “‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” John 15:20
- “People [will] hate you and . . . exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!” Luke 6:22
- “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. . . . And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household” (Matthew 10:34, 36).
And the words of Paul are just as clear: “All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). It may be “tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword” (Romans 8:35-36). It may be great labors, imprisonments, beatings, shipwreck, danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers, or any number of other things.
But, Jesus promises us that we will see His face, and that the sufferings of this earth are nothing compared to the glories that we will inherit in Heaven. So, I want to encourage you all, as the times seems to be darker and darker:
- Stand for the truth. God’s Word is truth.
- Do the will of God by trusting the grace of God.
- Do not compromise.
- Keep looking for Jesus’ return at the Rapture, and confidently face each and every trial knowing you are securely in His love.
Doing the right thing – as we have defined it above – is never wrong.
In love,
Bro. Parks