Sylvester McCoy 20 hrs · I deal with a lot of Christians who have been hurt by other Christians. The sad reality is that we get hurt by the Church...for our Lord and Savior forewarned us that in this world...in THIS world. Let me reiterate one more time: in THIS WORLD, we WILL have TROUBLES. This was said as an indication that troubles are limited to this world and not the next world to come. Its also safe to ascertain that the Church isnt immune from such troubles, being how Christ was giving these instructions TO THE CHURCH. Thus, we will encounter/experience troubles in this life. Be it on the job; in the home; in the checkout line; at the airport; and in the local churches where we are commanded to forsake not the assembling of ourselves. The only difference is that we tend to be harder on other Believers and the Church in general, than we are on the world. Ill give you an example: I have seen churches split-up over petty disputes... and instead of following protocol and forgiving one another, according to what is prescribed in scriptures, one or both offending parties simply leave. Some never return to any church ever again...trying to justify that the Church is just as corrupt as the world so they might as well get what they need from God in their own homes. The problem with this approach, is that when similar disputes crop up in their jobs; careers; professions... they dont apply the same patch. They dont give up ever working because theyve got their feelings hurt on the job. They dont declare that all jobs are just as corrupt as the current one. Or when they get a hold to some bad food that upsets their stomachs. They dont declare that all foods are bad and decide to stop eating all foods. In other words: when they get hurt out in the world they dont stop living in the world because of it, so why when they get hurt in the church they choose to stop attending church because of it? Isnt that the pot trying to call the kettle black? The point is, there are bad people everywhere. And not that they are necessarily bad...but that they are not like we are. We dont all think alike. We dont all have the same tastes. Were all the same, yet were all different; unique. Therefore we will occasionally butt heads on some issues. But no issue should be worth falling out of fellowship with one another over. Too many of us are needing to become disillusioned over the idea of a perfect church body in this present age. I love preaching the Gospel, but what I love more is practicing what I preach. I love being a doer of the Word. I also love hearing what to do. One doesnt arrive overnight, so we are supposed to practice mercy. Operate in the fruit of the Spirit. Sadly, many of us think were doing a good thing by talking against the Church...but when one persecutes the Church, they persecute Christ. I hear it all the time: we dont need a building because Christ didnt use a building. Thats not the full truth. Christ often taught in the synagogues. However, we cant base our current situations on the circumstances that the Lord was under. Yes, the apostles went from house to house: they didnt have the luxuries of computers; phones; TVs; radios; planes; trains; automobiles...they were out building and pioneering what we now take for granted. Translation: it was their duty to establish the church that we now have the luxury of attending. I dont get what peoples beef is with the church when Revelation 2 and 3 already clarifies what type of church out of the 7 churches mentioned was acceptable before the Lord. I dont see the same people who criticize the meeting places of the church body, and who want to go back to meeting in houses actually doing those things to the same extent as were done at the time of the apostles. Nor do I see them go back to not having anything to do with technologies and modern transportation. If one wants to base the present on the past then why does one enjoy the amenities of the present e.g. go without air conditioning and fans when its hot out instead of enduring the heat? Walk miles, sometimes hours and days to see/hear a sermon or a reading of the Old Testament? What Im getting at is that excuses are lame. We wont be judging God, like we tend to do His Word and His Precepts...no, God will be Judging us. When we persecute the congregations we are persecuting Christ. Lets refrain from hating on the churches...none are perfect, but they are the Lords. Agape.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Nov 2014 21:40:16 +0000
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