disturbing truths

I have to say that I read a really good and disturbing article today. It was good because I didn't know this was happening in this area. I knew that the attendance of church has been at a low, but in this one particular denomination the churches are running to get out. Why is that?? I have to say that at times, maybe I have not had that huge faith that at times, I have messed up, but my core beliefs have never been shook! I know and believe what I know and believe. I  may not have everyone agree with me on certain issues, but I don't waver on the core doctrines and I hope and pray that people respect me and what I believe and that I am not willing to give up my beliefs just because they are not "in". I follow after God and believe the Bible to be true. That has always been where I stood! Now, I am not just talking about those "taboo" issues that are so hot to be discussed and argued in today's society, I am also talking about those issues that are the MAIN building blocks of the Christian faith!
As Christians we need to know what we believe and never let go of that. God will continue to bless us for our faithfulness even though the world around us is changing and allowing more. God's word is truth! We need to stand on it and have faith that our God is who He says He is and know that God will never leave us nor forsake us! We need to always remember what HE came to this earth to accomplish so long ago! He came to give us life! He came to show us His unending love! We need to know what we believe and stand on the truth. There are denominations that are melting before our eyes. WHY?? They have forgotten their first love. They have forgotten the truth which they were built upon. They are allowing things to go on and different things to be taught and believed than what the Bible says and teaches.
 I know as a minister (my husband and I are both ordained ministers) this is hard to watch happen. There are some who want to stand in the truth when there is so much going on around which does not point to the truth.
There has been something that has been on my heart and that is the idea of holiness. The word says to "be ye holy as I am holy". Those are pretty big shoes to fill! We in and of ourselves cannot be holy. We are holy because of what God did for us on the cross, but we also have to try and change the way we live and not keep doing the same things that kept us bondage and in sin. We need to also make the neccissary changes to follow hard after God and do the best that we can to be "blameless in His sight". How can we ever do this if we are changing our doctrines left and right to fit our needs and the needs of this world. The world doesn't need another flip floppy church. The world needs the truth! As a minister you are held with very HIGH and GREAT responsibility! We are responsible to preaching the truth and we will be judged by how many we caused to fall away and for what we teach and if it was TRUTH!!! The word says "but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea". Matthew 18:6. 


WOW those are tough words! but it is truth! We need to be careful what we teach and preach and part of that comes from people watching and how we live out our lives as well! We need to practice what we preach! We need to keep ourselves in the word which is the truth! The word is life to all who read it! We need to also practice what we preach and not just say it and then live a different way. We need to uphold to standards of holiness and not just pick and choose the verses we want to live by!!! 
You know.... we sing those nice songs about "holiness, holiness, is what I long for, holiness is what I need" but do we really know what we are singing??