THE WAY OF LOVE
Greetings in the name of Jesus:
For much of my life I have found different things within the church that have been inconsistent with what the world has always told me the church was all about. Some people have chosen to believe that it was because the Bible itself was vague or unclear; even perhaps it may seem to contradict itself because of the different interpretations of scripture that men have come up with. In every case I have found that scripture itself is truthful and unchanged in every way, but it is men who have been unreliable and inconsistent in their doctrine in trying to follow the word of God.
I have often wondered what has prompted men to go their own way in creating creed and doctrine within the churches that simply divide us from one another rather than unite us in a common bond of love. I know only that whenever men get involved with God's work they must never attempt to be in charge, but should always be subject to God's will. The love we give to one another today is not based upon the same kind of commitment and love that God had established for His family through Christ Jesus. If we look at the first church and their response to one another it is easy to see the stark difference. Acts 2:42-47 tells us they devoted themselves to the teaching of Christ through the Apostles. They broke bread and prayed together. They continued to meet every day in the Temple courts, they had all things in common with the same heart and mind. No one laid claim to anything that he or she owned as they shared everything they had. The Apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and much grace and power were on them all. Here's the part that really makes a difference there were no needy persons among them because the body of believers saw to that need. From time to time those who had extra land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the Apostles to distribute to those in need Acts 4:32-36.
These differences between the two mind-sets from believers of the first church and the church that we are all involved in today is also the reason for the obvious departure of the power of God's Spirit among the churches of today. These are the last days before Christ's return, and even though people have made that statement before we can look around us easily at the signs that Christ pointed to and see the effects of what sin has done to us as a nation. We will collapse from the inside out just as all other empires have done because of self corruption. I would not be at all surprised to find it is the established churches of today who will bring the biggest amount of persecution on those who truly follow Christ in this age. I have no doubt about the world's view of the faith that I have in God's word, but what really hurts is the persecution from those who claim to be in Christ themselves, but who want to control God; their form of worship and their treatment of those in need around them to benefit only self. The true way of love is not hidden in the way most would have us believe, and it is not complicated; it is shown very clearly in God's word how we should feel about need and those who we should be sharing our love of God with. My only hope is that we wake up at least to the degree that we understand the mistakes we have made...and try to correct them. May you richly bless God through your life in Him.
THE UNWORTHY SERVANT
For much of my life I have found different things within the church that have been inconsistent with what the world has always told me the church was all about. Some people have chosen to believe that it was because the Bible itself was vague or unclear; even perhaps it may seem to contradict itself because of the different interpretations of scripture that men have come up with. In every case I have found that scripture itself is truthful and unchanged in every way, but it is men who have been unreliable and inconsistent in their doctrine in trying to follow the word of God.
I have often wondered what has prompted men to go their own way in creating creed and doctrine within the churches that simply divide us from one another rather than unite us in a common bond of love. I know only that whenever men get involved with God's work they must never attempt to be in charge, but should always be subject to God's will. The love we give to one another today is not based upon the same kind of commitment and love that God had established for His family through Christ Jesus. If we look at the first church and their response to one another it is easy to see the stark difference. Acts 2:42-47 tells us they devoted themselves to the teaching of Christ through the Apostles. They broke bread and prayed together. They continued to meet every day in the Temple courts, they had all things in common with the same heart and mind. No one laid claim to anything that he or she owned as they shared everything they had. The Apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and much grace and power were on them all. Here's the part that really makes a difference there were no needy persons among them because the body of believers saw to that need. From time to time those who had extra land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the Apostles to distribute to those in need Acts 4:32-36.
These differences between the two mind-sets from believers of the first church and the church that we are all involved in today is also the reason for the obvious departure of the power of God's Spirit among the churches of today. These are the last days before Christ's return, and even though people have made that statement before we can look around us easily at the signs that Christ pointed to and see the effects of what sin has done to us as a nation. We will collapse from the inside out just as all other empires have done because of self corruption. I would not be at all surprised to find it is the established churches of today who will bring the biggest amount of persecution on those who truly follow Christ in this age. I have no doubt about the world's view of the faith that I have in God's word, but what really hurts is the persecution from those who claim to be in Christ themselves, but who want to control God; their form of worship and their treatment of those in need around them to benefit only self. The true way of love is not hidden in the way most would have us believe, and it is not complicated; it is shown very clearly in God's word how we should feel about need and those who we should be sharing our love of God with. My only hope is that we wake up at least to the degree that we understand the mistakes we have made...and try to correct them. May you richly bless God through your life in Him.
THE UNWORTHY SERVANT
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