Let's pretend and make believe that everything is okay.

     Once upon a time in a world so out of touch with reality there lived a group of people who decided to be the savior of their world.  Putting on sackcloth and ashes they pushed and pulled and huffed and puffed but seemed to have difficulty bringing humanity kicking and screaming into reality.  Thinking (their first mistake) that perhaps the needed to modify the platform from which they operated, they began to ask humanity what they wanted instead of giving them what they needed.  So instead of casting their nets far and wide they now gathered fish at the local market where they didn't have to work for or offend any of humanity's souls.  At first this seemed to work as church attendance went up and giving went up with it.  That, they thought, must be the real measure of bring Christ to the world.  So they concentrated on relaxing the standards and morals which increased church attendance and of course increased their bottom line of giving.  Saving the world was hard work and soon there were scores of workers who were being paid to help save humanity.  There couldn't be any restrictions on the workers so every belief system was represented including those who didn't believe at all.  The "system" erected continued to grow and ceased to be a church at all.  Christ wasn't preached as everyone had long since threw out the teachings so as to not offend anyone.  Having the interests of the people as a priority was more important than actual adherence to any kind of religious radical who preached repentance. 
     Psalm 1:1 states: "Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way  that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,"  It's three simple steps that take us away from God.  First let's walk with the wicked.  Let's be there and say and do nothing.  Don't take a stand but don't join in on their activities and beliefs.  Walk down the street of New York City and don't do anything about the woman being raped on the street.  Just keep walking like the hundreds of others who are "Just minding my own business."  This actually happened.  Yet, we say, "Well, that's not me."  Perhaps not.  What do you walk by daily and do, say and think nothing about?  What is it that you just ignore because you are "Just minding your own business."  If you don't want to say then you take the second step.  You stand in the way of sinners.  That simply means that you are complicit when you stand with sinners though you don't join in.  You are justifying their actions by saying nothing, doing nothing and thinking nothing.  You remember that rally you went to in order to support legislation for a woman's right to have an abortion?  How about that bar you visited on the way home intending to witness but having several beers instead and complaining about your home life?  You get the idea.  You and I join others in road rage, name calling, stealing from our employers, and a host of things every day and think it's okay because, "Everyone does it and it doesn't hurt anyone."  Wrong.  Third on the list is when we sit with the sinners.  We, the believer, know better, have been taught better and yet, we, choose to live in sin and then call ourselves righteous.  So, you go to church and stand outside to have a cigarette before service.  Perhaps you go home and instead of being with the family you zone out to sports and a beer or two.  Maybe you decide to go gambling with the money you didn't have for tithe or to care for your family.  I'm still talking about believers here!
     What's the big deal?  Why do I rail against this magical world of believing this way?  What is it about this picture that you aren't getting "IT" and doing "IT"?  Have we thrown away our capacity to carry the love of Jesus to our world?  Do we mesh with civilization (if you can call it that) so well that we are no longer bothered by what's wrong?  Has it become so bad that we've taught our children to do the same?  Why is it we don't care if our kids, spouses, families, neighbors and enemies go to hell or not?  Maybe it's because we have chosen to take three steps away from God.  Maybe we have chosen to pretend and make believe that everything is okay.  Maybe you aren't saved either.  What would happen if you asked God to give you a heart for Jesus instead of against him.?  Would your world change?  Would you change?  Would you care?  We have stepped so far away from Christ within our "Christian" world that we seldom resemble Christian living at all.  I know that I am a sinner and in need of daily grace.  I know that when we continue to sin we heap insult on the Cross.  I know that as long as I don't let Christ live life through me there is nothing good that can come from me.  Do you know that?  What is it that you have chosen?  It's your choice.  Don't blow it.