GIVING GOD PLASTIC FRUIT
Greetings in the name of Jesus:
I am never more upset by the relationship of those in the church than when I see someone offering God Plastic Fruit as an offering for their lives in return for God's love and offer of salvation. To me, it is like getting invited by a King whom you say you respect and love by wearing a t-shirt with a picture of a tux on it rather than taking the time to dress for the occasion. It shows a great deal toward the true intent of someone's heart when we try to fake our way in any relationship, but I am sure it hurts even worse when the person who is lied to has given their all and the best of themselves while someone throws that effort away.
I believe my dear ones that is the reason we are seeing the church go through what it is right now as far as an exodus is concerned by so many. There are really two areas where I see the need for change. 1. There are many true believers who are starting to get fed up with the amount of worldly attitude and corporate dealings in the larger churches. We were not created to be an organization or a corporation of people with good intentions. We have never been meant to sit on piles of money or resources for the possible chance that someday God might give us a directive as to how to be good stewards of those things. We have never been meant to grow more powerful through the eyes of this world or gain the respect of world leaders. We have been meant to be a family in and through Jesus Christ. In that family, the purpose has always been a need to nurture and go new Christians who are truly brought up and taught by those who worship around them what it means to have an honest relationship with God. That effort means much more than shaking someone's hand on a Sunday morning or being as pleasant as possible in a social way while we attend a service together. What it should mean is that we look always for an opportunity to serve one another in Christ as a caring and loving sacrifice for God and for one another like family should be doing. We are going to be getting into more detail with regard to that in coming blogs, but I want to touch on the second area.
2. We find there is also an attrition of those who have come to the church under some false pretense in their heart. There are many today who have been drawn into the church through entertainment or amenities offered through a seeker sensitive combination of ministries. They have been lead to perhaps want to know more about God, but are fed very little apart from being plugged into a network of activities which have taught them just enough to become dangerous in their direction and witness to others of what the truth is what it means to receive Christ or become a valued mature Christian. In many cases, these people are finding any real commitment to Christ all but impossible to attain, and because they themselves have never been properly taught scripture or the need of a personal relationship with Christ through His Spirit they have very little to give someone past what they have known themselves. I believe that God is beginning to weed out the false teachers and those who should have by now been able to teach the word, but only understand the milk of that word.
Dear ones it is by our faith that we are healed, but that faith must be grounded upon the foundation of what Christ taught that we are grafted into the living vine. It does not matter where we may have come from in our past life, but it does matter how and where we grow in Christ. Every day this world is challenging us to live out the truth rather and just a t-shirt that says "TRUTH" on it. What will you do in your life to begin to honestly seek after the God that has given you a chance to Know Him? What kind of fruit are you bearing today? Is it good, honest effort to please God; or is it feeling plastic? May you richly bless God through your life in Him.
THE UNWORTHY SERVANT
I am never more upset by the relationship of those in the church than when I see someone offering God Plastic Fruit as an offering for their lives in return for God's love and offer of salvation. To me, it is like getting invited by a King whom you say you respect and love by wearing a t-shirt with a picture of a tux on it rather than taking the time to dress for the occasion. It shows a great deal toward the true intent of someone's heart when we try to fake our way in any relationship, but I am sure it hurts even worse when the person who is lied to has given their all and the best of themselves while someone throws that effort away.
I believe my dear ones that is the reason we are seeing the church go through what it is right now as far as an exodus is concerned by so many. There are really two areas where I see the need for change. 1. There are many true believers who are starting to get fed up with the amount of worldly attitude and corporate dealings in the larger churches. We were not created to be an organization or a corporation of people with good intentions. We have never been meant to sit on piles of money or resources for the possible chance that someday God might give us a directive as to how to be good stewards of those things. We have never been meant to grow more powerful through the eyes of this world or gain the respect of world leaders. We have been meant to be a family in and through Jesus Christ. In that family, the purpose has always been a need to nurture and go new Christians who are truly brought up and taught by those who worship around them what it means to have an honest relationship with God. That effort means much more than shaking someone's hand on a Sunday morning or being as pleasant as possible in a social way while we attend a service together. What it should mean is that we look always for an opportunity to serve one another in Christ as a caring and loving sacrifice for God and for one another like family should be doing. We are going to be getting into more detail with regard to that in coming blogs, but I want to touch on the second area.
2. We find there is also an attrition of those who have come to the church under some false pretense in their heart. There are many today who have been drawn into the church through entertainment or amenities offered through a seeker sensitive combination of ministries. They have been lead to perhaps want to know more about God, but are fed very little apart from being plugged into a network of activities which have taught them just enough to become dangerous in their direction and witness to others of what the truth is what it means to receive Christ or become a valued mature Christian. In many cases, these people are finding any real commitment to Christ all but impossible to attain, and because they themselves have never been properly taught scripture or the need of a personal relationship with Christ through His Spirit they have very little to give someone past what they have known themselves. I believe that God is beginning to weed out the false teachers and those who should have by now been able to teach the word, but only understand the milk of that word.
Dear ones it is by our faith that we are healed, but that faith must be grounded upon the foundation of what Christ taught that we are grafted into the living vine. It does not matter where we may have come from in our past life, but it does matter how and where we grow in Christ. Every day this world is challenging us to live out the truth rather and just a t-shirt that says "TRUTH" on it. What will you do in your life to begin to honestly seek after the God that has given you a chance to Know Him? What kind of fruit are you bearing today? Is it good, honest effort to please God; or is it feeling plastic? May you richly bless God through your life in Him.
THE UNWORTHY SERVANT
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