Sola Deo Gloria

Below I have attached a letter from Steve Hinton of Shoreline Baptist Church that I am convinced needs to be better understood in today’s misconception of Chritianity and all the prosperity theology that is being taught.  Thanks Steve!

We are a society of convenience. Think about it. We have everything from A to Z to make our life more convenient. Microwaves, cell phones, remote controls, and the list goes on and on and on. I think you get the picture. We’ve even tried to make our relationship with Christ more convenient. With the continued evolution all kinds of media, we need never to leave the comfort of our own homes to receive the teaching of God’s Word. Don’t misunderstand, I am all for everything we have available to draw us closer in our walk with Christ. My question is “When does it cease to become about Jesus and simply become about a life of convenience?” A. W. Tozer writes: “Every advance that we make for God and His cause must be made at our inconvenience. If it does not inconvenience us at all, there is no cross in it.” The cross that Jesus was called to carry wasn’t cross of convenience. It cost him everything. The cross we are told to take up is also not a cross of convenience. Just listen to the words of Jesus in Matthew 16:24-25 “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” Self-denial, loosing one’s life…doesn’t sound too convenient to me. Just the opposite. If we are going to be genuine followers of Christ, if we are going to make advancements for God and His cause, it is going to cost us something. It will not be convenient. It will not be easy. The Apostle Paul has this to say in 1 Corinthians 9:25 “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” Allow me to paraphrase as I close. It may not always be convenient to get out of bed and go to church, it may not always be convenient to read you Bible or pray, it may not always be convenient to help someone in need, but when we do we will receive a reward that no one can take away. In other words the reward is worth the cost.

Think about it.
Steve Hinton

For more information about Steve and the ministry God has called him to, please visit http://www.shorelinebc.org/