Bible Question:
I was sent this yesterday and I found it interesting. I thought I would post it to the forum for comments. Plese read this and tell me what us what you think on this subject. "I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH." MATTHEW 16:18 The church's all-time biggest blunders is never too late to learn from our blunders. Here are 7: (1) We've made unbelief a doctrine. While third-world nations believe God for New Testament results, we teach our seminary students that God doesn't do miracles anymore. (2) We've tolerated division. Who needs the devil when we're so adept at hating one another in the name of denominational loyalty? (3) We've cultivated a religious spirit. We've taught that Christianity is about avoiding things like smoking and drinking. As a result we've lost our joy, because intimacy with God cannot be achieved through performance. (4) We've encouraged "super stars. " Consequently, some of our preachers have stopped modeling servanthood, and forgotten that Jesus washed feet and rode on a donkey. (5) We've equated money with success. We've found a way to "theologize" greed, instead of using our God-given prosperity to feed the poor and reach the world with the Gospel. (6) We've stayed in the pews and become irrelevant. We freak out when somebody uses rap or rock music to reach the younger generation. Instead of engaging the culture we're hiding from it. (7) We've taught people to be escape-artists. Instead of "occupying till He comes," we'd rather be astronauts and fly away. We read rapture novels when we should be praying for those living on the verge of martyrdom. Why can't we have their kind of faith? We can - if we're willing to pay the price and commit ourselves fully to God! |
Bible Answer: Ammenment to previous post: I said the writer did not offer an answer. I was wrong. He did cite faith as the answer. I agree that faith is the answer... but faith in God and not our own ability to summon up faith by "paying the price". The writer said "We can...if we are willing..". I could'nt disagree more. "God willing", it seems to me, is far and away the most appropriate way to phrase it. Christianity is not a "pick yourself up by your bootstraps" religion. John |