Something profound came into my mind and I feel that God is speaking through me and that is this: The western church has become a prostitute rather than a Bride.
We have become a organization to attract people to the church. God has clothed His Bride with jewelry and crowns and earrings, likewise, He has given the church things like a building, worship instruments, rooms, etc. But we have become like an unfaithful wife and used these things for our own benefit. We use big banners, cool stage lights, fancy decorations--the things that God has clothed us with--and we have used them to bring wealth and fame and numbers and recognition to ourselves. Rather than drawing people to Jesus, we use these things to draw them into a building and into a corporate building.
If the church was the Bride of Jesus, we would be faithful to Him. Rather than feeding our desires to have more attendance and bigger buildings and more ministries--that would be like a prostitute sleeping with many people--we would use all the beauty and blessing that Jesus has given us to serve Him and Him alone, like a faithful wife.
On the outside, many churches seem to be do the right thing, drawing people into the church. But that should not be the point of the church. It should not be this prostitute-like church where we try to attract non-believers into how good looking the building or the schedule or the structure is. Rather it should be a Bride-like church where we walk out of the doors with our groom, Jesus Christ, into the streets and community, and show others how beautiful Jesus is.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
You give and take away
"The ignorance of history has led Americans to become a selfish culture." This is my thesis statement for my English essay. As I was thinking more about it, I was led to write this blog about how the ignorance of who God is has led Christians to become a selfish people.
Is there a sense of awe and reverent fear of God? Do we even know Him anymore? God is all powerful and everything that has been created is His. Satan is only alive because God allowed him to be. He is only allowed to tempt a person as far as God allows him to. We are only alive because God gave us life. We are only able to receive what God has given to us. Yet what to we do? We act like everything we have and own is ours. Our cars, job, house, friends, family, and even our own lives.
God is such a good creator that he knows what we, as humans, need to survive: food, clothes, water, shelter. In fact He is such a good God that he even gave us things beyond our minimal needs. He gave us love, hope, plans to prosper us and to give us a future and hope, a church, desires, grace, and so on. Yet we can become so arrogant and tell God how come He hasn't given us this or that. In fact we go even further and say that all these things we have is ours and we become angry at God when He takes our things, which really is all His, away. Our God gives and He takes away. Who are we to tell God that what he is doing is wrong.
And that is when Christianity(a follower of Christ), becomes religions(a follower of our lives), something we attach to our lives in order to benefit us.
If we had this understanding that God is all powerful and that everything that exists is His, we become humble and selfless. When God takes things away like a job, or a loved one, or our money, we are able to continue to glorify Him in everything thing that we do. We are able to worship Him as our God despite whatever circumstances we are in.
Is there a sense of awe and reverent fear of God? Do we even know Him anymore? God is all powerful and everything that has been created is His. Satan is only alive because God allowed him to be. He is only allowed to tempt a person as far as God allows him to. We are only alive because God gave us life. We are only able to receive what God has given to us. Yet what to we do? We act like everything we have and own is ours. Our cars, job, house, friends, family, and even our own lives.
God is such a good creator that he knows what we, as humans, need to survive: food, clothes, water, shelter. In fact He is such a good God that he even gave us things beyond our minimal needs. He gave us love, hope, plans to prosper us and to give us a future and hope, a church, desires, grace, and so on. Yet we can become so arrogant and tell God how come He hasn't given us this or that. In fact we go even further and say that all these things we have is ours and we become angry at God when He takes our things, which really is all His, away. Our God gives and He takes away. Who are we to tell God that what he is doing is wrong.
And that is when Christianity(a follower of Christ), becomes religions(a follower of our lives), something we attach to our lives in order to benefit us.
If we had this understanding that God is all powerful and that everything that exists is His, we become humble and selfless. When God takes things away like a job, or a loved one, or our money, we are able to continue to glorify Him in everything thing that we do. We are able to worship Him as our God despite whatever circumstances we are in.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
dear Ashley
Dear Ashley,
When you sing, it makes God smile. He has put in you a voice of Truth and beauty. Even though you feel week at times, He will give you strength like the mighty mountains. Jesus is crazy about you and He wants to hear your voice again. He longs to be loved by you. He loves you so much!
When you sing, it makes God smile. He has put in you a voice of Truth and beauty. Even though you feel week at times, He will give you strength like the mighty mountains. Jesus is crazy about you and He wants to hear your voice again. He longs to be loved by you. He loves you so much!
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