CONTINUED FROM LAST BLOG ON WOES
Greetings in the name of Jesus:
The things that Jesus said to the leadership of the religious groups of His time was like throwing a bomb in the middle of a very pious prayer meeting...no one took it well and very few survived the blast. The Scribes and Pharisees were very corrupt because they thought they were the only game in town. They forgot how easily God can change things.
Today we find that many who are supposed to be leading people in their journey toward God are only doing so for their own benefit. It saddens me when I come across an otherwise brilliant teacher of God's word to find that their actual goals is to build a very large church to sustain them in a lavish life style,and build a huge bank account.
5. The fifth woe from Jesus spoke about the redirection of money for personal gain while saying it was set aside for God. Many churches today are being run more like corporations than worship families in Christ. At the end of the day very few real things are done that do not have to sift through committee after committee before they can be approved to help someone with an immediate problem. We act like a bank where we hold on to every penny and squeeze all of the interest we can possibly have to put in the church's account. It feels very much like we have adopted the world concept of what is success by how much bigger we can get both in size and in finance...our mission is not that of a corporation, but as humble servants of God.
6. Number six is the sin that catches so many when this attitude of deceit starts to eat away at a church body. Jesus gave the sixth woe to them from the hidden agendas that developed with finances and amenities from the church that were miss used. This where He said that they make everything look good and clean on the outside, but on the inside they were filled with extortion and excess. We have seen how that kind of personal success goes to some heads when people put them high on a pedestal... for the most part men have feet of clay.
7. Number seven woe is to the real intent of the hearts of these people on a personal basis. This is where Jesus called the Scribes and Pharisees "White washed Sepulchers" clean and polished on the outside , but on the inside filled with dead and rotting bones. As harsh as that might sound it is exactly what happens when we allow ourselves to take the control of the minisrty out of the hands of the Holy Spirit and begin to use the wisdom of men.
8. The final woe is given by Jesus to their claim " If I had been there I would not have allowed this or that to happen to the prophets of old" Jesus reminded them that they have the same hearts as their fathers did before them and have grown up with that corruption still in them. They are as bad or perhaps even worse than their fathers were. Today we do much the same kinds of things through trying to get the doctrines of our to fit the modern demands and desires of men. We do this to try to interest them in hearing the gospel as seeker sensitive people, but all they really want is to be entertained and to be made to feel good about themselves. We all have a choice today to be either one of those whom Jesus scorned as hypocrites or to become real people with real faith in God...lets stand together for Jesus Christ our Lord. May you richly bless God through your life in Him.
THE UNWORTHY SERVANT
The things that Jesus said to the leadership of the religious groups of His time was like throwing a bomb in the middle of a very pious prayer meeting...no one took it well and very few survived the blast. The Scribes and Pharisees were very corrupt because they thought they were the only game in town. They forgot how easily God can change things.
Today we find that many who are supposed to be leading people in their journey toward God are only doing so for their own benefit. It saddens me when I come across an otherwise brilliant teacher of God's word to find that their actual goals is to build a very large church to sustain them in a lavish life style,and build a huge bank account.
5. The fifth woe from Jesus spoke about the redirection of money for personal gain while saying it was set aside for God. Many churches today are being run more like corporations than worship families in Christ. At the end of the day very few real things are done that do not have to sift through committee after committee before they can be approved to help someone with an immediate problem. We act like a bank where we hold on to every penny and squeeze all of the interest we can possibly have to put in the church's account. It feels very much like we have adopted the world concept of what is success by how much bigger we can get both in size and in finance...our mission is not that of a corporation, but as humble servants of God.
6. Number six is the sin that catches so many when this attitude of deceit starts to eat away at a church body. Jesus gave the sixth woe to them from the hidden agendas that developed with finances and amenities from the church that were miss used. This where He said that they make everything look good and clean on the outside, but on the inside they were filled with extortion and excess. We have seen how that kind of personal success goes to some heads when people put them high on a pedestal... for the most part men have feet of clay.
7. Number seven woe is to the real intent of the hearts of these people on a personal basis. This is where Jesus called the Scribes and Pharisees "White washed Sepulchers" clean and polished on the outside , but on the inside filled with dead and rotting bones. As harsh as that might sound it is exactly what happens when we allow ourselves to take the control of the minisrty out of the hands of the Holy Spirit and begin to use the wisdom of men.
8. The final woe is given by Jesus to their claim " If I had been there I would not have allowed this or that to happen to the prophets of old" Jesus reminded them that they have the same hearts as their fathers did before them and have grown up with that corruption still in them. They are as bad or perhaps even worse than their fathers were. Today we do much the same kinds of things through trying to get the doctrines of our to fit the modern demands and desires of men. We do this to try to interest them in hearing the gospel as seeker sensitive people, but all they really want is to be entertained and to be made to feel good about themselves. We all have a choice today to be either one of those whom Jesus scorned as hypocrites or to become real people with real faith in God...lets stand together for Jesus Christ our Lord. May you richly bless God through your life in Him.
THE UNWORTHY SERVANT
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