I wanted to share this post as I had received a loving email from a dear believer that expressed perhaps or inferred some concerns to me. I humbly receive them and would like to share my reply. The issues at hand:* Cautions concerning being judgmental* Detoxifying ourselves from the world system* understanding that the problem of sin is in our own hearts**************I really feel your heart andcertainly share in your feelings. If you get a chance,I have a message on sermonindex called "Getting BackTo the Love We Had At First" that gives my testimonyon those things you described. Towards the end of thatmessage I share from my heart and it was a powerfulmoment. I am wretched- even beyond wretched withoutGod. Unless God strengthens me- I cannot have victoryover sin. I cannot stop sinning in of myself. Many ofmy posts come across as judgmental perhaps or harsh-but with a heart of brokeness for the condition ofmyself first and that of others. I tremble and fearfor the Church in America and for my youth andsometimes that fear comes across as agressiveness orwrongly- but I pray that God will not let it be so. I find that when I subject myself to the things ofthis world (not sinners who need the Lord of coarse)but the worlds system and propoganda I loose thatbrokeness and feel my heart hardening to the hurts andpains caused by sin. I believe that fertile ground forthe devil is a hardened heart. A seed of sin will growon the hard and dry places like weeds will grow underdry and harsh conditions. Ican't give the devil fertile ground (as it were)- I have to stay broken before God. I don't want to be aPharisee. God has always been faithful to pull theprops out when i start getting there. I do recognizewhat you are saying though and will hear it as a wordof great caution.To be me is to be a strange thing I suppose. I am themost non-confrontational person I know (I say that to my shame). Why has God placed it on my heart to say things that make me want to run? Only He can answer that. He laid it to my heart to preach on Hell Sunday Night and I all but refused to do it. God told my son to put together a message and give it to me to preach for that service the week before. He had noidea what I was wrestling with God over. The messagewas titled, "Do you really want to go to hell?" It wasa challenge to love our neighbor and pray for them inlight of what God has revealed will be their fate. Iwept and cried and had a hard time gathering myselfbefore I preached. God strengthened me and I made itthrough. Please forgive my seeming harshness or my sharpness. Idon't want to be a Pharisee. I want to be like Christ.I pray for revival and it has burned like fire in myheart for a long while now- 24 hours a day- 7 days aweek. That has to be God. In myself I would fall intosin. It is a grind to be in the shoes of one who hasto say what few will say. It wears me down. Itwears... me down. To call for repentance and considermyself at the same time is a tough thing to pull off.I have to teach God's word even if I am not totally inline with it. I cannot allow the Devil to still myvoice by pointing to all my shortcomings. I have toinclude myself into the scenerio and say I must dolikewise. I have to consider myself and speak the truth in love. It is a very unpleasant thing though. Sleepless nights. i go home at night and don't sleep much. My main concern is knowing I did not offend God. Man will be offended no matter how lovingly we express their need to repent. It's hard to tactfully tell a person who rejects Christ that they are in danger of damnation. Please pray for me as well.I may post portions of this for other input on theForum. I will not mention you, but you are welcome tocome underneath and comment. God Bless and Much Brotherly Love,-Robert
_________________Robert Wurtz II