 Hi, this is Pastor Dave Rosales of Calvary Chapel of the Chino Valley. In 2004, a tsunami hit Thailand with incredible force and devastated various villages along the coast. I can still remember how some people had climbed to the roof of a building for safety. As they stood on the roof, they could see the wave coming to shore. And to their dismay, they saw a man with a basket gathering the fish that were left behind as the wave receded from the shoreline. From his vantage point, so many fish on the ground were a blessing. But from the vantage point of those above, it was about to result in his death. Those who were on the roof could see past the shoreline and they saw the wave building and rapidly coming to shore. They began crying out for him to escape, but he was too busy looking down at his catch. And sadly, the wave drove over him. He was instantly killed. What he thought was his great blessing in reality ended up his violent death. There's a movement that is subtly influencing churches throughout our nation. A movement that has influenced pastors and believers away from preaching the gospel. At its heart is the gutting of the gospel message of its power to bring conviction and instead has replaced it with a kind of gospel sentimentalism that avoids making people feel uncomfortable. Many pastors are faithful in their preaching and I praise God for their courage and strength as they stand in the face of opposition to the gospel. And yet, I must sadly say that the opposition to the message of the gospel is not always coming from the world, but very often is actually originating in the church. In the book of 2 Corinthians, the apostle Paul had to deal with a great number of accusations against his ministry. One of the accusations he dealt with was the accusation that he was peddling the word of God which speaks of changing its message for personal gain. This was a charge that he rejected and vehemently defended his ministry against. Today it seems that many well-known so-called preachers are doing just that, peddling God's word for personal profit. The desire for large churches and large budgets can be a great temptation and it is possible to succumb to such temptation if our flesh is weak and the conditions are right. As a minister of the gospel, I have served the Lord as a teacher of His word since 1973 and I can tell you that the temptation to avoid difficult passages for fear that people will respond negatively is something every minister has to overcome. One of the things that has given me strength to remain faithful has been a sincere fear of God, a fear that provokes me to remain faithful to the one I will give an account to. Another thing is the desire to hear one day the Lord Jesus say to me, done my good and faithful servant, this is something I greatly desire to hear. A third thing is to remember just who I am ministering to, those who are in the pews and who listen to my teachings every week are God's children and deserve to hear a solid study of God's word. As I look around the sanctuary, I can see many people who are dealing with terrible pain and sorrow who have come to hear words of encouragement and hope. I see the mother of the four-year-old little boy who has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. I see the parents of the eight-month-old baby boy who died of leukemia. I see the mother of the two-year-old little girl who has run over in her driveway and died. The mother of the five-year-old little boy whose father told him that he doesn't love him. The mother whose son was shot and killed when he went to visit his cousin. Pastors who forget the pain of their congregations and pursue prosperity and fame have forgotten what it means to tend the sheep. They've forgotten that the people need more than pep talks and more than his giving them his take on the news or his plans for their success. They need pastors and leaders that they can trust who can be examples of faith, hope, love, patience and godliness. They need men of God who can honestly say, follow me as I follow Christ. This kind of man will be one faithful to God's word and who faithfully shares it. If there's anything I want to be, it is to be a good example to the flock. I mentioned earlier that the man in Thailand who was overwhelmed by the tsunami had people screaming loudly to him, but he couldn't hear their voices. His concentration on the catch of fish was so intense that he did not hear the people as they cried out the warning to flee before he perished. Perhaps we Christians and especially we pastors need to remember that we have a vantage point that we view the world from. We are like the people on the rooftop and we can see the destruction coming and we are crying out for them, flee from the wrath to come in order to do this effectively. We need to spend time in God's word in prayer and we need to be ready and prepared to not only share the gospel and the truth found in it, but also to be ready to give an answer concerning the hope that lies within us. Pastor, may I encourage you to remain steadfast in your study and presentation of God's word? Christian, may I exhort you to listen to your pastor's teachings and be ready to do what God's word teaches us to do? Remember what the writer of Hebrews said in chapter 13 verse 7 when he wrote, Remember those who rule over you who have spoken the word of God to you whose faith follow considering the outcome of their conduct. My friends, look around you, see what is happening. Our world is growing darker every day. Sin has become not only normal but acceptable to many. In spite of this, there are many people who are looking for help for the answer and the answer they are looking for is found in the gospel. Jesus is the only one who can save and he is the one who gives us real life. We need to remember that righteousness is not something that we will elect. It is something that we receive when we come to faith in Jesus. Our nation and our states need good leaders, but they especially need good believers. May we remain faithful in living and giving the gospel of God. It is the power of salvation to all who would believe and it will change our lives when we put it into practice on a daily basis. Finally, one last suggestion. Easter is a Sunday morning when many churches are full. People who may not normally attend church make a point of attending on that Sunday. Many visitors show up and many pastors are blessed to see this even though the next week many don't return. This is something that is common and there are many reasons for it. With that said, many who come that week only are also those who claim that they are members of that church. They say it is their church but never attend, serve, support or pray for it. Here's my suggestion. Christians start treating every Sunday like it was Easter Sunday. It isn't your pastor's job to make it exciting for you. It's your job to show up and get fed. If you begin to treat every Sunday like an Easter Sunday in a fairly short time, your walk will be strengthened and you will become more like Jesus. If you have a church that is Bible centered and encourages you to grow praise God for it, support it. If you have a pastor who loves Jesus and teaches the word, thank God for him, pray for him and spiritually support his work for the Lord. Go to mid weeks, attend prayer meetings, exercise your gifts. We're living in the last days. May we be faithful to the end and may we all hear Jesus say, well done. This is Pastor David Rosales of Calvary Chapel of the Chino Valley, California.