People want to make up their own version of who God is and how He operates, and, they want to live life how they want, so they choose not to attend a church but instead complain about how unfair, judgmental and crucifying so many Christians are. And in many cases they are very right about this.
However are we just saying all these things about the Christian right,left and so in in judgement, not removing the "boulder" from our eyes before removing the splinter from the eyes of others? Are we saying this to justify ourselves, prove we are right and further our "cause" instead of furthering the word of Christ?
Over the years since 1996(my born again experience) and even before that in my Catholic youth, I experienced hypocrisy, hatred, every form of racism and finger pointing you can imagine.
And you know what? That is all okay to me now because I understand something vital and lovely about the body of Christ.
Whether you are Catholic, protestant evangelical or whatever the believers in Christ label themselves, we have all fallen short of perfection ,and, instead form self righteous statements as soon as we accuse one another of ANYTHING we think is unfair or not right in the body of Christ.
When we see injustice and wrong in the church are we condemning it with bitterness and hatred or are we bringing it to God and allowing Him to speak to us about this?
When we state something like, "The so and so group are so self righteous and do not help others" we have already helped out the enemy to another feather in his cap. We spout out our feelings and opinions of other Christians before a believing and unbelieving world and the results are often disunity in the body and more fuel for the enemy's fire.
Yes there are some horrible things going on in the church, many believers are not acing the way they should and yet in the name of Christ they all claim they are just fine and even self righteously good before God.
The whole entire church is a divided body and that keeps the enemy happy my friend.
In Revelation the appeal to the church in Ephesus is to repent and not forsake their first love. However He(God) says that they have this in their favor: they hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which He also hates.
What, "hates? God used the word hate? Yes, it is against practices not people. And He does have some rules that we must follow as His children.
Now to the church in Smyrna, He gives the promise of a reward , a crown of life, though there are many who are slandering them and even causing them suffering, even to death.
The church in Pergamum God has great words for BUT He states there are some in that church who hold to teaching of idols and sexual immorality, and, again He mentions the Nicolaitans.
He asks for repentance,NO, He commands it!!!!
In Sardis God even says something more revealing. He tells the people in this church they say they are alive but they are dead!!!!
However God says He will come like a thief in the night and you will not know when He comes.
He tells them that some are in that church walking with Him and I think that is an important statement.
He promises He will not blot out their names from the Book of Life.
In all these churches there is much bad going on. There are believers who are rebellious, ignorant and living against God's principles.
Like today's churches there are hypocrites, back stabbers,self righteousness and so on.
BUT THERE ARE MANY WHO ARE WALKING WITH GOD!
AND HE PROMISES HE WILL NOT BLOT OUT THEIR NAMES FROM THE BOOK OF LIFE.
HE SAYS HE SEARCHES HEARTS AND MINDS AND WILL REPAY EACH OF YOU ACCORDING TO YOUR DEEDS.(Rev.2:23)
Friends, when we say something about the church today we are talking about the church yesterday too. God knows everything that is going on and He will sort out the wheat from the tares.
I attend a wonderful church, loving and spirit filled, blessed but we are far from perfect.
My daughters church too is spirit filled,loving welcoming yet they too are far from perfect.
And there are others too. I have visited them and been in them recently and I see how, like the churches in Revelation, they are all having good points and weak ones.
I bet there are many in even the churches that are not "so good" that are walking with God and staying true to Him and His commandments in love and truth.
I bet if we start praying for the church and stop bad mouthing it we will see the move of the Holy Spirit on our brothers and sisters in Christ and many repent and turn from evil.
He who is not against us is for us.
If you want to bad mouth something do it to the church of Satan.
I am sure you will find imperfect people in that church too.
I have desired to write this for a very long time and today I just had to write it all down.
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