I must say as I think about the state of Christianity in the western world I'm ashamed. Ashamed that we have taken the gospel of Jesus Christ and turned it into a "what's in it for me" gospel. So many church's and preachers are preaching a false gospel today. It makes me wonder what Martin Luther, John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon, Johnathan Edwards, D.L. Moody and other great preachers of Gods word would think if they saw our version of the gospel today. As I read about christians in China being thrown in jail and beaten for just studying their bible I think about christians in the western world that won't even take the time to read their bible much less tell someone about the true gospel. It's time we took a stand for Christ. Get out of our own petty problems, get back to studying our Bibles and do what Jesus told us to do if we were to follow him.
Luke 9:23 "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."
That wasn't a request, look at the wording "he MUST". If we are to follow Jesus we MUST deny ourselves and take up our cross daily. That means that what we want in life should be what Christ wants out of our lives. We should want what Christ wants plain and simple. Professing Christians have got to get back to living for Christ regardless of who it makes mad or who it offends. I say professing because if you truly are a child of God's you have no problem living for Him but some do have a problem with that and just because you profess to be a christian doesn't mean you are.
Lip service is cheap, it's time to put up or shut up.