The Proof is in the Pudding

Brothers and Sisters,

As Christians, each time we part, we walk out into a storm of corruption and moral bankruptcy that hammers us with unceasing tribulation, constantly tempting us to moments of weakness. As Rick preached the other day, we must be equipped for this spiritual war, donning the full armor of God, and making sure our ‘sword’ arm is well practiced. We can’t let our guard down. As Peter warns, we must be sober and vigilant! Because our adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, prowls about, seeking whom he may devour.

With so many people in the world proclaiming that God does not exist, we are constantly put into the uncomfortable position of confrontation and disagreement. The easy thing to do is to give consent with our silence. Those in the world don’t relent in questioning the validity of our lifestyle, of our belief, of our Savior. ‘You really believe in that fairytale nonsense?’ ‘Why would anyone in their right mind get up in the morning to go listen to a short chubby guy talk for hours about some "invisible" creator?’ ‘Are they all crazy?’ ‘Isn’t the bible just a made-up story?’

Let’s be honest with ourselves here for a second. These are all questions that we in our spiritual immaturity had once asked ourselves as we wrestled with the reality of God. We need to remember those who struggle against us are not “the enemy”; our battle is not against flesh and blood. Jesus died for these lost ones too and desires that they choose to accept His offer of grace.

But to answer these inquisitive attacks with a quote from Rick: “The proof is in the pudding.” The evidence for God ought to be glaringly obvious in the lives that we as Christians live. WE are that pudding, Church. So let’s make sure that we are striving to be the best pudding that we can be! That way, when the world goes to take a chomp out of us, they will have no choice but to acknowledge that God is good. And we all know that roaring lions don’t like God’s pudding recipe.

And let’s not forget about our brothers and sisters throughout the week. Send out that message of encouragement that you’ve been meaning to write up. Visit that loved one who keeps falling lower on your list of priorities. Make sure that they are striving to be a pudding after God’s own kitchen. You never know who might be feeling spiritual exhaustion; a little thoughtful note might be just the remedy of revitalization needed to lift up a struggling brother.

In Him,

Alex