Good Morning! Our names are Keith and Elaine Gerstenberger, and we were asked to give you a devotional thought from the book of II Corinthians, chapter 13, and Galatians, chapters 1 and 2 .
Keith: Galatians 1:6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel.
Elaine: Galatians 2:21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!
REFLECTIONS:Keith: I look at today’s society and see all of the different teachings, both in the mainstream churches and cults, that are leading people away from the true gospel because they want to feel good, not continue to grow in their walk with the Lord.
Elaine: We recently visited a beautiful church in another city where we had had the privilege of serving. It was a sweet reunion and we gathered at our favorite restaurant for a meal and our last goodbyes. Something occurred at this meal that will forever be stamped on my heart.We were catching up on news when one young lady spoke to her mother and me: “I’ve got both you women here; this is a good time to get your opinion. I was at a Bible group. One person said that if you are a good person you will go to Heaven. Another person said you had to be saved to get to Heaven. What is your opinion?” I was stunned! The young lady and her family professed to be Christians, and had faithfully served in various ministries of the church for many years. How could she not know the very basics?
I was not prepared for the response! Her mother proceeded to answer her question and said yes, good people go to Heaven. “God knows people’s hearts, and they don’t actually have to go through the steps to be saved.” My mind was reeling. She continued on for several minutes and my heart was racing. What am I to do? I wanted to scream for Pastor Denny and have him walk in the door. I knew my gifts that God had given me. Evangelism wasn’t one of them, or so I have told myself for many years. This was out of my comfort zone, but God gave me the words. I grabbed her hand and looked straight into her eyes and said, “Scripture teaches that there is only one way into Heaven and that is through Jesus Christ who died for us.” I shared the gospel with her – you must confess and repent of (turn away from) your sins. Jesus will save you and give you a wonderful gift, Himself. He will come and live in you, and you will then have a relationship, and that is how you get into Heaven. No one can make this decision but you. You must always get your answers from the “SOURCE.” Only you can decide where you will spend eternity. Do not let anyone take the power from you. If you stand for nothing, you stand for everything.God taught me a great lesson. His timing is perfect, even in assigning the table seating.
He taught me that I am arrogant in believing I have divine knowledge of who is saved and not saved.On top of the gifts He has given me, we are all missionaries. It is our responsibility to speak to all about the wonderful gift of salvation. I will not assume that I know who knows Him and who does not.
APPLICATION:Keith – I’m so glad that we found a church that is not afraid to stand up for the Word of God, and a pastor that both preaches from the Word and is there for his people, and loves us enough to make us accountable.
Elaine – Please pray for me. Pray for this precious family. Ask God to give me the right words and the right approach. I need to be bolder about the mission. This is not a game. Lives are at stake!
Thank you for being a part of the 40-Day Challenge. Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!
In Christ,Keith and Elaine
SAVED: Keith, age 12; Elaine, age 13
FAVORITE BIBLE CHARACTER: Keith, Moses; Elaine, Jesus
FAMILY: Son Brian married to Tara, their children Isaac, Olivia, and Emma; Daughter Kelly married to Jason, their children Angel and Zeke; all of them are serving the Lord.
OCCUPATION: Keith, Industrial Sales; Elaine, Nursing
FAVORITE BOOK IN BIBLE: Keith, Matthew; Elaine, I and II Samuel
MINISTRY INVOLVEMENT AT VBC: SS teacher and helper