Sister Amy and Brother Michael W.

Tonight was 75% great, and 25% grief.

I received encouragement from several people I didn't know, as well as several I do know; Caroline, John, Randy and Connie, Bob and teacher Mickey, while I preached the Gospel at the Xfinity Arena, in Everett.

I spoke from the heart, no notes in hand as I pleaded with the Amy Grant/Michael W. Smith concert goers, to soften their hearts and examine the fruit of their lives, but they just laughed.   The just kept mocking and resisting the Gospel. One gal said turn off the bull horn. I said "OK but the God has given me a loud voice." Even after I did what they asked, they still scoffed and murmured and complained. Another lady came up and started scream her head off at me. I just ignored her and kept preaching. Lastly, another lady came of and tried very sternly, but politely to tell me to preach something encouraging. I detected a hint of alcohol on her breath, and asked her if she'd had a few drinks before coming tonight. She went off in a huff. Very saddening.

Here's what I said...

Friends, respectfully, very respectfully I come to you this evening.   My name is Keith, and I’m a born-again christian, and I’d like to share a few thoughts with you and then the Gospel.   The Gospel is the good-news of our reconciliation with God.   In other words, the Gospel is the greatest breakup and get back together again story ever.   We all start out alienated from God.   Estranged from God.   Even to the point of being enemies with God because of wicked works in our minds, the Bible says.   But, the Gospel changes everything.   God brings peace through the message of the Gospel.  

Now I know many of you are Christians.   You’ve put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, but I can’t assume that for all of you.   So I’m going to share a few thoughts that hopefully cause you to examine yourself, and see if you’re in the faith.   So you can prove to your own self whether or not Christ is in you.   The fruit of your life will indicate what’s going on behind closed doors.   I.e. what your life produces, in terms of fruit, indicates what’s going on in your heart.   Remember, we look on the outward appearance, but God sees the heart.   The bible says the heart of man is deceitful above all things, it’s desperately wicked, who can know it.   But God does.   Now, a story as an illustration.   A story about what you see is what you get.

The story is of Sister Amy; yes I’m talking about Amy Grant being on TV… Back in the 1990s, my wife and I were watching tv, and I was probably channel surfing. I came across Amy Grant, and she was on her husband’s TV show on the TNN network… Her husband’s name was Gary Chapman; he had his own show called Prime Time Country, and he was interviewing her, trying to talk to her and he seemed like he was being nice, very personable, trying to interview her, but she was being so snarky, stinky, withdrawn and aloof from this guy... My wife and I were watching this supposed ‘christian’ music artist, sister Amy in shock and disbelief. Well later on, she divorced that guy. I could have predicted it, by the way sister Amy treated her husband, her very own husband, on national TV no less.

God hates divorce, but it isn’t the unforgivable sin…  It doesn’t say God hates divorcees, but God does hate divorce. Let me ask you, you who name the name of Christ; If you were being interviewed on TV, could the audience tell you are a christian?   Let me put it another way,  If it were illegal to be a christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?   Does your lifestyle; how you talk and act agree with your profession of faith?

Here are a few questions, so you can examine yourself, based on the Ten Commandments:

1. You shall have no other Gods before Me, In other words, is God the top priority in your life?   Not only that, but is God #1 on a list of 1; nothing else even compares to your love and devotion to God.   Let me ask it another way, I know many of you have multiple Bibles, but do you read even one of them every day, without fail?
2. You shall make no idols for yourself, in other words, have you ever said “My god would never ________”, you fill in the blank.   Do you make for yourself a god to suite your own agenda?   We are warned over and over again in the New Testament to flee from idols, so we’re susceptible to it.
3. You shall not use the Lord’s Name in vain:  How ‘bout the movies you watch, the tv shows, the internet sites, the video games?   Are you ok with blasphemy.
4. Honor the Sabbath:  We’re Christians, so we are not under a Sabbath law, but in principle, do you devote one day in seven for rest and worship of the LORD.  Do you forsake the assembling together of the saints as is the custom of some?
5. Honor your parents: Do you trash talk your parent?   Do you cherish them and take care of them?   Also, this parent-child relationship goes both ways; Do you show patience to your kids?   This was where I failed big time.  Do you train your kids up in the LORD?   Do you read the Bible to your kids?
6. Don’t murder: now I hope none of you have literally murdered, but Jesus raised the bar on this one.  He said if you even so much as call someone an idiot, or a fool, or a moron, you’re in danger of the judgement of hellfire for being a murder.  So do you gossip, or backbite?   Do you have outbursts of anger?  Jesus said if you are angry with your brother without cause, you are guilty as a murderer-at-heart.
7. The seventh commandment is don’t commit adultery:   Men; do you look with lust?   Men, do you gaze upon young ladies?  Job made a covenant with his eyes that he wouldn’t do that.   Do you look at porn?  Women do you watch some of this trashy reality TV or read steamy novels?
8. Don’t steal: Do you steal from your employer, your neighbor, the IRS, the internet?
9. Don’t lie: Are you always truthful, even when it hurts?
10. Don’t covet: Do you strongly desire other people's stuff? Do you put more time and money into your hobbies, than your relationship with God?   In other words, do you care to see God’s will be done on earth?   Do you desire to see His Kingdom grow here on earth, by telling others about Him? When you pray, do you pray more than just gimme, gimme, gimme prayers? Do you place your will over God's?

These days are evil.   These are dark times, but do you redeem the time for His glory?