The Shocking Reality

       I love reading my Bible.  However, I seem to operate on a pendulum in many areas of my life: at one point,  I may be digging gold out of God's Word like there is no tomorrow, and, at other times, you may find me in a state of seeming apathy, hardly ever opening my Bible's cover.  Despite these contradictory actions I truly love God and I always desire to please Him and enjoy reading His Word.  For the past year or so, my goal was to read every book of the Bible that I hadn't read before.  Except for Revelation, I have accomplished that goal.
        Last week I decided to read the Bible again, this time putting into practice some of Deitrich Bonheoffer's advice, from his book - Life Together.   He suggests reading multiple chapters at a time, two from the Old Testament and one from the New.  I now do this every night and am not only taking notes on what I read but also compiling a summary of the Bible in my own words, chapter by chapter.
       Last night I read Matthew chapter seven.  I was especially struck by verses 13-23.  These verses related to something that has been a concern of mine for several years now.  That is, whether the young people around here - where I live, and in my youth group, are really saved.
       It seems that in recent times, kids are spoken to about salvation and are then taught about God's love and acceptance and compassion.  These are all majorly important attributes of our God, the God of Love, who does have compassion on all men and will accept any who turn to Him, and although it is important, and maybe even necessary, to understand God's Love and Grace in order to have a real relationship with Him, kids (and any new converts) should also be taught what pleases God - and what doesn't.  The Christian life is a TRANSFORMED life.  Through Jesus Christ we have died to sin (Rom. 6:11) and because of His power living within us we are no longer subject to it - so why do many people today think that it is okay for kids to pray the salvation prayer and then continue in their old lifestyle and sin patterns?
        The verse that really stood out to me in my Living Bible last night was verse 21, which says,

             "Not all who sound religious are really godly people. They may refer to me as ‘Lord,’ but still won’t get to heaven. For the decisive question is whether they obey my Father in heaven."  

I think that this really sums it up and describes countless Americans today.   To me, it is just as frightening, and maybe more, to see someone that has false security in their salvation than to see one who knows he's not saved. 
         I just wanted to share this and to try to spread awareness of this issue.

       Please pray for me.  Due to instances in the past I have been inactive in my youth group for a long time.  God has recently put it on my heart to step back in and reach out to two girls in particular.  One professes faith in Christ but I'm not sure that the other does.  Pray that I will be able to develop a close relationship with them both; that I will be a good friend and that God would use me to show His love to these girls and would use this desire in my heart to help both of them to find true salvation and experience a transformed life.