Go into the highways and hedges and compel them to come.
The ministry of the Rockville Church of God of Prophecy is that of meeting the people of our community at the point of their need. Jesus commanded His church to go into every traveled path and every obscure hiding place and urgently seek souls to come into fellowship with Himself.
We have received that directive from the Holy Spirit and are responding as He prepares us for the task. We are going into our world and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and He is changing lives from the youngest to the oldest. God is moving in the Kingdom and the Holy Spirit is feverishly setting everything in place for the return of the Son of God.
If you want to be a part of what the Holy Ghost is initiating, we invite you to come join with us as we seek God for the outpouring of Holy Ghost revival on our community, this city, this state, this nation and the world. Our prayer is, "God, let the river flow. Let it flow from the unfathomable depth of our AWESOME GOD".
"…LET LOVE GUIDE YOUR LIFE, FOR THEN THE WHOLE CHURCH WILL STAY TOGETHER IN PERFECT HARMONY." COLOSSIANS 3:14 (TLB)Protect Your Church
When you’re part of God’s family, it’s your responsibility to protect the unity of that family. How? By focusing on what we have in common, not our differences. Paul writes, ‘Let us concentrate on the things which make for harmony, and on the growth of our fellowship together’ (Romans 14:19 Phillips). Do you do that? As believers, we share one Lord, one body, one purpose, one Father, one Spirit, one hope, one faith, one baptism, and one love. We share the same salvation, the same life and the same future – factors far more important than any differences; these are the things we should concentrate on, not hang-ups and petty issues.
God gave us different personalities, backgrounds, races and preferences, so we should enjoy them, not tolerate them! God wants unity, not biscuit-cutter uniformity. For Christ’s sake we must never let our differences divide us. We must stay focused on what matters most – learning to love each other as Christ loved us.
Problems usually arise when we shift our attention to less important things. The Bible calls these ‘stupid arguments’ (2 Timothy 2:23 NIV). Any time we focus on personalities, preferences, interpretations, styles, division always happens. But if we concentrate on loving each other and fulfilling God’s purposes, harmony results. That’s why Paul pleaded, ‘…Let there be real harmony so there won’t be divisions in the church. I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose’ (1 Corinthians 1:10 NLT).
Once you discover what God intends real fellowship to be, it’s easy to become discouraged by the gap between the ideal and the real in your church. Yet you must passionately love the church in spite of its imperfections. Looking for the ideal while criticizing the real is immaturity. Settling for the real without striving for the ideal is complacency. Maturity is living with the tension.
People will disappoint you, but that’s no excuse to stop loving and meeting in fellowship with them. They’re still your family even when they don’t act like it, so you can’t just walk out on them!
People go sour on the church for many reasons: hypocrisy, boring services, money, neglect, pettiness, legalism, and the big issue who’s in control? Because we’re human we’ll inevitably hurt each other. But instead of leaving, we need to stay and work it out. Reconciliation, not running away, is the road to stronger character and deeper fellowship. Anyway, there’s no perfect church to escape to. The sooner you give up the idea that a church must be perfect in order to love it, the sooner you’ll quit pretending and start admitting that we’re all seriously in need of grace. Every church should hang out a sign that reads: No perfect people need apply. This church is only for those who admit they are sinners, need grace and want to grow. The truth is that if God joins you to a church, only God should ‘unjoin’ you from it!
It’s always easier to stand on the sidelines and take potshots than get involved and make a contribution. God warns us repeatedly not to criticize, compare, or judge one another. When you criticize what someone else is doing in sincere faith, you’re out of your jurisdiction! Listen: ‘What right do you have to criticize someone else’s servants? Only their Lord can decide if they are doing right…’ (Romans 14:4 CEV). So unless you’re their Lord, keep your nose out of it!
Don’t stand in judgment looking down on those whose views differ from yours! Paul writes: ‘Why, then…criticize your brother’s actions, why…try to make him look small? We shall all be judged one day, not by each other’s standards or even by our own, but by the judgment of God’ (Romans 14:10 Phillips). Whenever you judge God’s children four things happen: (1) You upset their Father (2) You expose your own pride and insecurity
(3) You set yourself up to be judged by the same standard (4) You hurt the fellowship of your church. A critical spirit is a costly vice. Instead of harping, start helping!
Time spent comparing and criticizing is time that could be spent on better things. The Bible says, ‘…Help others with encouraging words; don’t drag them down by finding fault’ (Romans 14:19 TM). Unity is the soul of fellowship; destroy it and you rip the heart out of Christ’s body. So, make up your mind today to protect your church!
Gossiping usually means passing on information when you’re neither part of the problem nor the solution. It’s like accepting stolen property – it makes you just as guilty of the crime. The moment somebody begins to gossip you should say, ‘Stop, why do I need to know this? Have you talked directly to that person?’ Wise up. People who gossip to you will gossip about you. They can’t be trusted! Furthermore, when you entertain gossip God says you’re a troublemaker. Listen: ‘Troublemakers listen to troublemakers…’ (Proverbs 17:4 CEV). And Jude adds, ‘These are the people who divide you, people whose thoughts are only of this world…’ (Jude 1:19 NCV). Serious charges, eh?
Isn’t it sad that in God’s flock the greatest wounds come from other sheep, not wolves? Paul warned of cannibal Christians who, ‘…devour one another [and destroy the fellowship]’ (Galatians 5:15 Amp paraphrased). He says these troublemakers should be avoided and disciplined. Listen again: ‘A gossip reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a babbler’ (Proverbs 20:19 NRS). The fastest way to end conflict is to confront lovingly those who are gossiping and insist that they stop it. Solomon pointed out, ‘Fire goes out for lack of fuel, and tensions disappear when gossip stops’ (Proverbs 26:20 TLB).
Start practicing Christ’s code of conflict resolution! (1) ‘Work it out between the two of you’ (2) ‘If he won’t listen, take one or two others along’ (3) ‘If he still won’t listen, tell the church [leadership]’ (Matthew 18:15-17 TM). That’s God’s way. It must be ours too!
While there are no perfect leaders, God gives pastors the responsibility of maintaining unity in the church. And it’s a thankless job. Too often pastors have the unenviable task of serving as a referee between hurt, warring or immature people. They’ve been given the impossible task of trying to keep everyone happy, which even Jesus couldn’t do!
The Bible’s clear about how we’re to relate to those who serve us: ‘Be responsive to your pastoral leaders. Listen to their counsel. They are alert to the condition of your lives and work under the strict supervision of God. Contribute to the joy of their leadership, not its drudgery. Why would you want to make things harder for them?’ (Hebrews 13:17 TM). Leaders are human. They need our prayers, appreciation and love. That’s why we’re commanded to: ‘…honor those…who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along…Overwhelm them with appreciation and love!’ (1Thessolonians 5:12-13 TM). Overwhelm them with what? You’ve got it – love! God blesses churches that are united. Furthermore, when He has a bunch of baby-believers He wants to birth, He looks for the warmest incubator He can find. So what are you personally doing to make your church family warm and loving?
There are people in your community who are desperately looking for love and a place to belong. When they find a church where the members genuinely love and care for each other, you’ll have to lock the doors to keep them out!
GET IT – USE IT – SHARE IT
Glory to God and what a year 2006 has been! I look back and marvel at how much has been accomplished for the Kingdom of God. Yet there is so much to do. How will it ever be done? Well I believe that it can be accomplished through the power of God at work within our lives. There is a tremendous challenge that has been set before each one of us.
“Are you willing to partner with God to accomplish something so great
that unless He is in it, it will fail.”
Are you up to that Challenge???
Most of us have met that challenge in a few areas, and I commend you for your diligence.
The fruit of your willingness can be seen in many areas in your life and community. How wonderful it is to see God’s blessings around us. But we would be missing the point if we stopped here.
We have just scratched the surface of what God wants to do.
I say that because I truly believe that God’s Sovereign Will for our community is found in 2 Peter 3:9 …
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise,
as some understand slowness.
He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish,
but everyone to come to repentance.”
This is God’s will
.
Oh how I want to see a move of God in our area that moves from “Anyone to Everyone!”
For that to happen several things must take place amongst us:
1)We must be willing to lay down our life for the Lord.
2)We must be willing to lay down our life for each Other.
3)We must be willing to lay down our life for the Lost
What does this mean?
First, we must be willing to humbly submit to God and begin to seek Him as the Lord of our life who has priority and distinction over all else. With eagerness we must begin to desire after Him and be willing to sacrifice our gain for His Kingdom.
Secondly, we must look at our relationship within the Body of Christ with reality. Are all of our relationships with one another pleasing to the Lord? The time has come when it behooves us to quit saying “but,” when God puts His finger on a relationship that is not right. Scripture says that they will know us “by our love!” When we sacrificially do this, we will stand with Christ in “disarming the powers and authorities,” and “making a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Is it easy? By no means. Is it impossible? NO, through Christ all things are possible.
Finally, the people of our community and area must know that we care for their eternal well being. Are we willing to swallow our pride, and bring the gospel to our lost family and friends? Unless we give them the reason for the hope that we have, they will spend an endless eternity in a very real hell.
Are we willing to do these things? We can approach the Kingdom of God in one of two ways.
First we can enjoy the blessings of God and grow fat on the fruit of His blessings. My thought on this is that one-day we will look back from heaven with deep regrets saying, “What if!”
The second approach we can take is to “work while it is day!” Pray, Sacrifice, Obey, Love, Work, and do everything within our power to obediently Magnify the Kingdom of God in our community. Living our lives now in such a way that when we look back we can say with confidence “I pressed toward the goal and won the prize for which God had called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
This is my desire.
What is your desire?
Will you join me in stepping out in faith, confidence, and anticipation…
SERMONS
Knowing God Personally
Here are four principles to help you discover how you can begin a personal relationship with God and experience His love:
Principle One: God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.
God created you. Not only that, He loves you so much that he wants you to spend eternity with Him. Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
Jesus came so that each of us could know and understand God in a personal way. Jesus alone can bring meaning and purpose to life.
Knowing God Personally: Principle Two
Principle Two: All of us are sinful and separated from God. Therefore we cannot know and experience God's love and plan for our life.
The fact is, we need Jesus. The Bible says, "...all fall short of God's glorious standard" (Romans 3:23b). Though God intended for us to have a relationship with Him, we naturally want to do things our own way. We're stubborn, selfish, and frequently unable to follow through on our promises. Try as we might, we just keep stumbling.
Deep down, our attitude may be one of active rebellion or passive indifference, but it's all evidence of what the Bible calls sin -- an old archery term which literally means "missing the mark."
The Bible says the result of sin in our lives is --spiritual separation from God (Romans 6:23). Although we may try to reach God through our own effort, we inevitably fail. We just can't ever be good enough.
This diagram shows the great gap that exists between us and God. The arrows illustrate that we are always trying to reach God and find a meaningful life through our own efforts. We may try to do good things or adopt a new guiding philosophy--but we inevitably fail.
Knowing God Personally: Principle Three
Jesus Christ is God's only provision for our sin. Through Him we can know and experience God's love and plan for our life.
Jesus Christ is God's solution to the problem of human imperfection and evil. Because of Jesus' on the cross, we don't have to be separated from God any longer. Jesus paid the price for our sin and in so doing, bridged the gap between us and God.
Instead of trying harder to reach God, we simply need to accept Jesus and his sacrifice as the one way to God. "I am the way, the truth and the life," Jesus said. "No one can come to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). He also said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again. They are given eternal life for believing in me and will never perish" (John 11:25-26).
But not only did Jesus die for our sin, He rose from the (1 Corinthians 15:3-6). When he did, he proved beyond doubt that he can rightfully promise eternal life--that he is the son of God and the only means by which we can know God.
Yet just having knowledge about God's plans and purposes isn't enough. We need to consciously accept Jesus Christ as the payment for our sin and welcome Him into our life.
Knowing God Personally: Principle Four
We must individually accept Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord; then we can know and experience God's love and plan for our life.
The Bible says, "But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12).
We accept Jesus by faith. The Bible says, "God saved you by his special favour when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it" (Ephesians 2:8,9).
Accepting Jesus means first believing that Jesus is who he claimed to be, then inviting him to take the control of our lives and make us into new people (John 3:1-8).
Jesus said, "I'm standing at the door and I'm knocking. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in" (Revelation 3:20).
How will you respond to God's invitation? What will you do with the claims of Jesus Christ?
Consider these two circles.
Self-Directed Life
- Self is on the throne
- Jesus is outside the life
- Interests are directed by self, often resulting in frustration
Christ-Directed Life
- Jesus is in the life and on the throne
- Self is yielding to Jesus
- Interests are directed by Jesus, resulting in harmony with God
Which circle best represents your life?
Knowing Jesus Personally
Choosing to submit your life to God is the most significant decision you can ever make. This choice involves more than simple intellectual agreement that Jesus is God and that He died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins. Becoming a Christian also requires that you commit the rest of your life to God, to do what He asks of you and to live in accordance with His principles. This decision is not something to be taken lightly. It requires sacrifice and a total reorientation of your life around God rather than yourself. As Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23).
If you feel you are ready to make this commitment, you can do so right now by telling God you are sorry for your past mistakes, putting your trust in Him and asking Him to make you into the person He created you to be. This step involves faith. You probably still have a number of unanswered questions at this point. But you must be willing to make the decision based on what you know right now and trust God to fill in the details later.
The precise words you use to commit yourself to God are not important. He knows the intentions of your heart. Your prayer can be as simple as "Help!" or it can focus on an issue that is specific to your situation. If you are unsure of what to pray, use the following sample prayer to get started:
"Jesus, I want to know you. I want you to come into my life. I'm sorry for the things I've done that have broken my relationship with God. Thank you for dying on the cross so that this relationship could be made right. I believe You are the only One who can do this. Only You can give me the power to change and become the person You created me to be. Thank you for forgiving my past mistakes and for giving me eternal life with God. I give my life to You. Please do with it as You wish. Amen."
By praying the above prayer-or one similar to it-you have just taken a giant step toward making God the centre of your life. But these are just the words. What follows is a lifelong journey of change and growth as you get to know God better through Bible reading, prayer and interaction with other Christians.
If you prayed the prayer above and invited Jesus into your life, you've become a Christian--which means simply, "Christ in one."
Which circle would you like to have represent your life?
Send us an Email or give us a call so we can pray with you.
Transferable Concepts - Basic Truths of the Christian Life
In the process of counseling and interacting with tens of thousands of students, laymen and pastors year after year it has been discovered that:
Many church members (including people from churches which honor our Lord and faithfully teach His Word) are not sure of their salvation;
The average Christian is living a defeated and frustrated life; and
The average Christian does not know how to share his faith effectively with others.
In our endeavor to help meet these three basic needs and to build Christian disciples, Campus Crusade for Christ has developed a series of "how to's" - or "transferable concepts" in which we discuss many of the basic truths that Jesus and His disciples taught.
A "transferable concept" is an idea or a truth which can be transferred or communicated from one person to another and then to another, spiritual generation after generation, without distorting or diluting its original meaning.
How You Can Be Sure You Are a Christian gets right to the heart of the gospel message -- that Christianity is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ which begins through an act of the will by faith.
How You Can Experience God's Love and Forgiveness illustrates that God has an exciting and victorious plan for those who accept His forgiveness from sin and obey His command to be controlled daily, moment by moment, by the Holy Spirit.
How You Can Be Filled with the Holy Spirit teaches that believers must be filled with the Spirit by faith in order to live a victorious and fruitful Christian life.
How You Can Walk in the Spirit instructs Christians how to live in the resurrection power of Jesus Christ on a daily basis. This booklet teaches Christians how to face real-life problems and disappointments in the power of the Holy Spirit. It also illustrates how the Holy Spirit can enable you to victorious over temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil.
No other adventure in life can compare with that of witnessing for Christ in the Power of the Holy Spirit. How You Can Be a Fruitful Witness spells out the spiritual preparation and practical skills you need to introduce others to Christ.
Many millions in numerous cultures throughout the world have been introduced to Christ by reading the Four Spiritual Laws. This home page teaches you how to use this same simple tool to present the gospel to your friends, neighbors and loved ones in the power of the Holy Spirit.
How You Can Help Fulfill the Great Commission examines the command of Jesus to evangelize and disciple the world -- the greatest command of all time given by the greatest person who ever lived! Christians today face the unprecedented opportunity of fulfilling the Great Commission in this generation.
How You Can Love By Faith illustrates how every Christian can actually possess and demonstrate in daily life the supernatural agape (love) of Christ by faith. This unique, radical love changed the First Century world and continues to be the driving force that draws unbelievers to Christ. This home page demonstrates how agape can reconcile enemies and break down barriers of class, color and race.
How You Can Pray with Confidence teaches that God unleashes His power through prayers of Spirit-filled, trusting believers. Drawing from Scripture, church history and personal experience, Dr. Bill Bright illustrates how faithful Christians have helped to change the course of history through persistent prayer.
How You Can Experience the Adventure of Giving provides proof that sacrificial giving can become a thrilling and rewarding adventure in the life of every Christian to prayerfully evaluate the ultimate destinations of their gifts.
20 Tips for reducing conflict, developing healthier relationships and enjoying life more.
There are two individuals in every relationship, not one. You may share a home and a bed, (or even a toothbrush), but you do not share a body, a mind, or a spirit. Notes: Many biblical passages support this. Romans 14:12 says we will each (individually) give an account of ourselves to God. Psalm 139:23,24 instructs us to examine our own heart to see if there are issues blocking our relationship with God. In relationships with blurred boundaries, especially in relationships where addiction is present, we're not sure what our issues are, because we're so overfocused on the other person.
Do not expect your mate to read your mind or anticipate your needs. Take responsibility for speaking your needs and desires.. Notes: In Matthew 7:7 Jesus tells us, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find." If it's our need, it's our responsibility to ask to have it met. To assume otherwise is to ask our mate to parent us.
Stay out of your mate's head. There's only room for one brain, and it isn't yours. Don't assume you know what your mate is thinking, feeling, or needing. Give up trying to read the mood and the mind of those around you as a way of protecting yourself. Honor their status as full-fledged s by allowing them to speak their own needs and feelings.. Notes: Jesus almost always required the crippled and blind people he encountered to ask for healing before he gave it. With the invalid at the Pool of Bethesda, Jesus asked, "Do you want to get well?" When he answered affirmatively, Jesus healed him. Obviously, Jesus knew his need before the man spoke; he still required him to verbalize it.
Do not punish those close to you for sharing their real feelings. They have a right to all their feelings and opinions (even those about you), and you have an equal right to yours. It's okay to disagree. It's okay to see reality differently.. Notes: In the name of being "nice," people often tell mistruths to one another, or hide their true feelings. In Ephesians 4:15, Paul encourages us to "speak the truth in love." The real issue blocking honest communication is usually fear of rejection, which is just another form of people-pleasing.
Allow your mate to be wrong. Give up the "right and wrong" fights. Forever. Decide that you'd rather be well than right.. Notes: Here's what Romans 14:19 says in The Message version: "So, let's agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words; don't drag them down by finding fault."
Allow those around you to be miserable, without trying to fix them. Don't parent them or caretake. Respond sensitively to their requests for help, but do not take responsibility for their happiness. Notes: In his encounter with the rich young man in Mark 10:17-23, we're told "Jesus looked at him and loved him." Despite that love, Jesus told him some tough news - the man would have to give away all he owned to the poor if he wanted to follow him. When the man "went away sad," Jesus didn't run after him and try to talk him out of his decision or cheer him up. Often our attempts to make others feel better are motivated by unvarnished fear and selfishness. We want the other person to be happier so we'll feel safer around him or her.
Every situation in life, and every person you deal with in life, is in one of two piles. They're either in God's pile - and those are the situations and people that only God can change - or they are in your pile - and those are the situations and people that you can change. Your most important task each day is to decide which pile everything goes in. Notes: The two main errors surrounding this issue are actually two sides of the same coin. We either believe God can't really take care of our difficult situations, or we believe we have the power to change or control the people around us. In the first instance, God's pile is too small; in the second, our pile is too big. The first comes from lack of faith; the second stems from grandiosity. After being rebuked by God both for lack of faith and for grandiosity, long-suffering Job in the Old Testament finally affirms, "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted." Proverbs 28:26 puts it another way, "He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe."
Secret #1: Give up trying to change your mate. He/she is in God's pile. Notes: The classic antidote to this impulse to change our spouse is Jesus' exhortation in Matthew 7:1-5, "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?"
Secret #2: You're the only person in your pile. Notes: Again, Scripture is clear on this one. "Each one should test his own actions," Pauls says in Galatians 6:4 and 5, "Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load."
Honestly own your feelings, even if you think they make you look bad. Be committed to authenticity above everything else. There's no good substitute for reality. Notes: Authenticity is the hallmark of a mature Christian. In Ephesians 4:25 Paul says, "What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth."
Take responsibility for your own happiness. It's not the responsibility of the people around you to make you happy. Notes: In Philippians 4:11, Paul says, "I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am." That doesn't mean we're not enriched by healthy relationships. We are. But we're called to develop the kind of relationship with God that gives us a sense of contentedness that is not dependent on the people around us.
Take responsibility for your own responses to life circumstances. You are not a victim, unless you choose to be. Feelings are 10% circumstantial and 90% choice. Others cannot "make" you unhappy, other than momentarily. Notes: The core isssue here is a distorted image of God, an image that says God is not caring enough or powerful enough to turn our tragedies into triumphs. All of Romans chapter 8 is a hymn of gratefulness to God for his love and care. Verses 27, 28 and 31 are especially powerful: "He knows us far better than we know ourselves. . . that's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. . .So what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose?"
Take God with you in every situation. Rely on your conscious contact with him to give you serenity in the midst of circumstances you cannot control. Notes: Paul identifies the secret of serenity in Philippians 4:6, 7: "Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."
Give up completely on trying to win your mate's approval. Accept who you are at this point in the process - warts and all. Don't try to hide your personal preferences, opinions, or plans. Notes: We need to turn down the volume on that critical voice in our head that pushes us to seek the approval of those around us. Paul gives us a glimpse into what this looks like for him in 1 Corinthians 4:3-5: "I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me . It is the Lord who judges me. . . He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God." Note that Paul doesn't say "At that time each will receive his punishment from God." Paul's default setting for God was grace, not judgment. He had let the truth of God's love soak deep down into his heart.
Openly share your thoughts, feelings and activities (other than those that would hurt your mate) without worrying about whether your mate will find them acceptable. Notes: Again, the issue is fear of disapproval. (See Proverbs 29:25) 1 John 1:7 tells us, "But if we walk in the light [our lives open, nothing hidden]. . . we have fellowship with one another." Openness lays the foundation for closeness in relationships.
Lay down the mask, and give up trying to look perfect. It's like a bald man with a bad toupee; you're not fooling anyone anyway. Notes: 2 Corinthians 4:2 says it powerfully, "We refuse to wear masks and play games. We don't maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes. . . Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open, the whole truth on display, so that those who want to, can see and judge for themselves in the presence of God."
Admit your weaknesses. Reapply for admission to the human race. (There's still room.) You are neither a saint, nor pond scum, just a human being like everyone else. Notes: It is false spirituality that pushes us to beat ourselves up because of our weaknesses. Hebrews 4:15-16 tells us that Jesus sympathizes with our human weaknesses because he has been tempted in every way that we have. He expects us to be simply human. And on the other end of the spectrum, Paul exhorts us in Romans 12:3, "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment." We're not subhuman, or superhuman, just. . . human.
Write off all your human "audiences." Audiences are fickle and, like the rest of us, self-centered. They'll applaud when we're serving their interests and withhold the applause when we're not. Surprisingly, it's a lot easier to just please God. Notes: The truth is, we can't be people-pleasers and God-pleasers at the same time. In Galatians 1:10 Paul gives it to us straight. "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."
