"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." (1 Cor. 15:58)

Bishop Richard Wilke of Arkansas offers a frank diagnosis of the state of the United Methodist Church in his book And Are We Yet Alive? He says, "Our sickness is more serious than we at first suspected. We are in trouble, you and I, and our United Methodist Church. We thought we were just drifting, like a sailboat on a dreamy day. Instead, we are wasting away like a leukemia victim when the blood transfusions no longer work. Once we were a Wesleyan revival, full of enthusiasm, fired by the Spirit running the race set before us like a sprinter trying to win the prize. Circuit riders raced over hill and valley. New churches were established in every hamlet. Our missionaries encircled the globe. Now we are tired, listless, fueled only by the nostalgia of former days, walking with a droop, eyes on the ground, discouraged, putting one foot ahead of the other like a tired old man who remembers, but who can no longer perform." (From Are We Yet Alive?By Richard Wilke, p. 9)

We add our observation regarding the United Methodist in general. Not only have they died in their zeal, they have lost their love for truth. Let us not be wasting away like someone terminally ill, but with fervent love of truth continue to abound in the work of the Lord, knowing that our labor is not in vain.