Beloved,
These are increasingly
irascible, irregular, and irreconcilable times exaggerated by a world out
of control, nation deeply divided, and churches that do not have the faith
breeding the courage and strength to tear down separating and segregating
idolatries in obedience to the big ten reflected in His greatest commandment.
Everywhere - whether
national politics or booster club rivalries or little league athletics or
wherever - the speck-inspectors and my-way-or-the-highwayers are out and
energized by the enemy to divide and destroy.
Selfishness not
sacrificial service is a virus infecting the health of too many people and even
churches that should know, uh, better.
Recently, my bishop
shared an interesting story with me.
A pastor asked geezers
like me, "Raise your hands if you would die for your grandchildren?"
Everyone raised their
hands.
Then he asked,
"Raise your hands if you would change the music in worship for your
grandchildren?"
No one raised their
hands.
Sigh/Selah.
Too many people can't
seem to stop/help themselves from helping the enemy destroy what He
created/called good.
Too many people act like
Adamsons more than Christians.
It is one of the most
exposing/disclosing/betraying evidences of being in or out of Him.
Fortunately, as focused
and fueled by Biblically based and Christocentric worship at First, we are
overcoming that plague/pollution.
More than less and more
better than worse - with apologies to the grammar police - we are modeling
Someone better in our life and ministry together for the glory of Jesus alone.
That's why we are being
urged to increasingly invite, welcome, include, and love folks into the family
of faith on the corner of Lincoln and Main:
Are you still looking for a different way to do church?
Are you tired of the SOSO religion?
Are you put off by posers in pews,
politics, and pulpits?
Are you searching for
something/Someone real, honest,
timely, and true to...?
Try our family of faith on the corner
of Lincoln and Main
in
Belvidere, Illinois!
Sundays at 7:20 and 10:00 a.m.
And so much...
Yes, we are called to be
salt - preserving what is good/Godly, promoting what is good/Godly,
purifying/pruning/purging what is not good/Godly, and spicing up things!
And, yes, we are called
to be light - a picture of something/Someone better and showing the way to Him
alone for wholeness, health, happiness, joy, safety, and security!
Make it be so.
Blessings and Love!
Excellent! With all that divides in the world, it is one of the primary duties of the Church to show that Christ unites, regardless of our many differences.
ReplyDeleteI have thought for some time that it would be wonderful if a towering cross, a hundred feet tall or more, could be erected in every community (Of course the ACLU would insist such a thing would be illegal and unconstitutional), and that the Father would gather, via the activity of the Holy Spirit, all His people together at the Cross. If we cannot all lay down all our crap to simply and humbly meet as one at the foot of the cross, well, it is unlikely that all our many externally and internally divided congregations will ever accomplish much for the kingdom.