August 22nd

"Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as `Lord,' but they still won't enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven." - Matthew 7:21

This verse talks about people who 'don't practice what they preach, in other words, hypocrites. These people may say they are Christians, or religious, but the way they act is a whole different story. Whether it means they are sexually active before marriage, abusive, or using their influence in a totally wrong way.As I wrote that last sentence, an example popped into my head and it is from my first night at XCEL.
They played videos of rapper and other famous icons of this generation giving thanks to God when they won an award for either a performance, a music video, or a song. It may not sound wrong, but think for a moment...
When you see or hear lil wayne's raps and music videos, does it reflect a Godly image?
What about Britney Spears? Do her actions honor God?
What about other famous celebrities? Would God approve of how they influence people?
This is exactly what this verse is talking about. These stars may thank Him for their gifts verbally, but they sure aren't thanking Him by using them the way they should be. They may 'sound religious' but the way they use the influence they were given isn't glorifying God, which is disobeying God.
These days, we think if we go to church every sunday and say an occasional prayer that we are guaranteed a spot in Heaven. FALSE. This is being a part time Christian. Every sunday we are religious and aknowledge God with everything we do, but what about the rest of the week? We forget He is still watching..it's not like God closes His eyes during the week and decides to just watch on sundays.
These days, we think it's okay to sin if we repent. FALSE. It's never OKAY to sin. Of course we are all sinners, but the important thing is, we try not to be tempted by sins. We have to be patient, and strong willed. We can't keep falling down. It's okay if we occasionally fall down, but it's important to get back up and get stronger.