I found myself a bit overwhelmed this evening when I stopped a moment and considered something...
While Christians around the world, and especially in Iraq, Syria, and several other areas are having their heads cut off, being crucified, seeing family members (including young children) murdered before their eyes, and otherwise being so heavily and violently persecuted for the "crime" of professing Jesus... We here in the US struggle to demonstrate a tiny hint of faithfulness. We won't live out the faith we profess due to the tiniest hint of "offense". American " Christians" so often get consumed with "me centered" flesh-driven lives.
We just have to have the most beautiful building, state of the art equipment, professionally produced worship service, comfy seats, pleasant church staff, etc... All while our persecuted brothers and sisters still meet in homes, without the creature comforts, all while wondering when their lives will be required of them...
Some even go so far as to marginalize many of those persecuted Christians as something less than genuine Christians... Yet they are far more willing to profess Christ before men than we are. With a gun to their head, or a knife to their throat (or that of their child), they refuse to recant their faith in Jesus Christ.
What did Jesus say on the matter? (Matthew 10:32-33)
"So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven."
Or as the Apostle Paul said: "I am not ashamed of the gospel..."
How do we deny Jesus? How do we demonstrate that we are "ashamed of the gospel"? When we do not consider Christ first. When we make excuses for our sins instead of repenting of them. When we are more concerned in with our preferences and comfort. When our churches are wrapped up in buildings and programs over meaningful (and even sacrificial) steps to reach the lost. When meeting together with the local church is an inconvenience, and when it grows easy to make excuses... We deny Christ.
We live in a land where there is a "church on every street corner", many of which cater to creature comforts over the life-changing Word of God. Where marginal Christians jump from church to church for comfort or to escape an " uncomfortable " situation (or conviction)... We find it difficult to just be faithful...
Which is more like the Church that Jesus planted? Maybe its time to look in the mirror.
While Christians around the world, and especially in Iraq, Syria, and several other areas are having their heads cut off, being crucified, seeing family members (including young children) murdered before their eyes, and otherwise being so heavily and violently persecuted for the "crime" of professing Jesus... We here in the US struggle to demonstrate a tiny hint of faithfulness. We won't live out the faith we profess due to the tiniest hint of "offense". American " Christians" so often get consumed with "me centered" flesh-driven lives.
We just have to have the most beautiful building, state of the art equipment, professionally produced worship service, comfy seats, pleasant church staff, etc... All while our persecuted brothers and sisters still meet in homes, without the creature comforts, all while wondering when their lives will be required of them...
Some even go so far as to marginalize many of those persecuted Christians as something less than genuine Christians... Yet they are far more willing to profess Christ before men than we are. With a gun to their head, or a knife to their throat (or that of their child), they refuse to recant their faith in Jesus Christ.
What did Jesus say on the matter? (Matthew 10:32-33)
"So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven."
Or as the Apostle Paul said: "I am not ashamed of the gospel..."
How do we deny Jesus? How do we demonstrate that we are "ashamed of the gospel"? When we do not consider Christ first. When we make excuses for our sins instead of repenting of them. When we are more concerned in with our preferences and comfort. When our churches are wrapped up in buildings and programs over meaningful (and even sacrificial) steps to reach the lost. When meeting together with the local church is an inconvenience, and when it grows easy to make excuses... We deny Christ.
We live in a land where there is a "church on every street corner", many of which cater to creature comforts over the life-changing Word of God. Where marginal Christians jump from church to church for comfort or to escape an " uncomfortable " situation (or conviction)... We find it difficult to just be faithful...
Which is more like the Church that Jesus planted? Maybe its time to look in the mirror.
posted from Bloggeroid
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