Nov 03
As I was riding today, headed to the drs office I began to think - and this is a dangerous thing sometimes ;D
I have been doing some traveling in the past couple of weeks and in that, I have been meeting with business leaders and church leaders. It has been an eye-opening experience. One thing that I have seen in a few places is that business' are more ready to support the preaching of the Gosple than some churches are. I work with a Christian newsletter and I am finding that business' want their name assoicated with it more than the churches do. The Church leaders are asking things like what denomination are the people that run it, ect. Is that an issue?? If someone supports and teaches that Jesus is the only way to God and that there is no other name whereby men must be saved, does it really matter if you are Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, ect?? We should stand together in the preaching of the Word. A
nother thing is the churches that have "apostolic" in their title. For the most part, I have found them to be the opposite. Apostolic means "those that are sent out." Most of these churches are so isolated from the real world that they really are no earthly good! Yes, we should be set apart, set apart in what ways though?? Man, some of these are so "set apart" that they have no idea what Skittles are! And this is no joke! I know of a group that has never set foot into a mall before, because there are things in there that will "defile" them. Some order everything through catelogs because they "can't go into stores" because they are afraid that they will hear a cuss word or see something impure. To me, this doesn't sound apostolic! Aren't we called to be in the world - but not part of it! How in the world are we going to reach the lost if we don't get out into the midst of them?? We might have to get a little dirty, hear some cussing, see prostetutes walking down the streets in a mini skirt and a halter top.
Jesus Himself went in the home of tax collectors, rescued a woman who was caught in adultry, touched the lepers - who do we think we are to neglect them!! Those are the ones that Jesus died for also - not just the ones who have been in church all their lives and lived good. He died for the worst of the worst. Paul preached in the middle of the market place, at the gates of the city - basically at the "local mall". He went into a gathering of pagan worshippers and preached Jesus! The 1st Century Apostles were different, they were set apart - yet they were feared! In the books of Acts (17) the whole city was in an uproar because Paul and Silas came and preached Jesus. It was said "These men who have upset the world have come here also;" In the KJV it says "These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;" How many of us can have that said about us? These men and women of God were not afriad to reach out to those who were hurting, those in deep sin - and because of that they turned the world upside down!
I am tired of hearing this "easy belivism gosple". We are in a war folks - it is not "Let's get saved and wait in hiding till the Rapture." So many who call themselves Christians do just that.
You know, I do hope the Rapture comes, but I am prepared to stick it out if we have to live through the Tribulation. We have not experience the persecution that many Believers have across the world. We think we have it easy - we do, too easy. Let persecution come and I wonder how many of those who claim the name of Christ will stand. I pray all will, but we have been taught (at least in this country) that when we become Christians we will have every want and desire. God did not say that - He said that He would provide for all our needs. There is a big difference.
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