Can the Church be Enemies of God?

Spiritual Lessons

Can “the Church” be enemies of God?

I reflect on the many “Christians” I have talked with on the subject of love, murder and the gospel.

Many of them claimed that love is being friendly. Love ignores sin. Love accepts and never judges. That murder is only murder when the victim is a certain age or is wanted or not the product of rape. And that the gospel is: Jesus forgives and loves you. Period.

The Christians at Planned Parenthood scream “Jesus loves ME” before going in to murder their baby. And who convinced them of that? The Christian at church.

It was a Christian who stomped a baby model into the street, a Christian who howled at my “Image of God” sign. It was a Christian driving out of the church parking lot that flipped me off while trying to hand him a gospel tract. The Christian lesbian tried to explain to me how “love does not judge” and it was her Christian pastor that told her so.

Instead of engaging the darkness, being the salt, judging righteously, being a light, compassionately pulling people out of the fire, loving our neighbors, the “Christian” has tried to become the world's friend.

“...Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will b a friend of the world is the enemy of God...” James 4:4

Just as Jesus fought against Israel and called them an enemy for rebelling and vexing Him, He does so to the conventional Church. Isaiah 63. He rejects and hates our worship and songs when we have tolerated, condoned, prolonged and justified our modern Moloch. Our nation literally murders children on the alter of self and convenience. And we Christians stand by and watch. Amos 5.

It's not just the mega churches. Joel Olistein's church. Or the liberal churches. The majority of conservative, even small churches have failed to be truly Christian. Once upon a time to be Christian meant to be bold as lions. A voluntary martyr. You were a world shaker. A non-conformist. Christ-like. A relationship with Christ was merely a result, not the purpose of your Christianity. Total obedience and trials and working faith were matters of rejoicing.

Now to be "Christian" means you're emotional. You are passive. You only love worship. You listen, learn, submit...but doing, teaching, edifying are forgotten. You're sleepy. You are a friend of the world. And you condone sin.

Yes Christians, the Church can be enemies of God. And we will be judged. Christians must be awakened, or warned. Christians are either asleep or lost.

Wake up church. This isn't a joy ride. We're in the middle of a battle.

Quote of the Day

"Is there any use in beating about the bush? We call ourselves Christians, what does our Christianity amount to practically? Has it made any difference to my natural individual life? It cannot unless I deliberately give up my right to myself to Jesus, and as His disciple begin to work out the personal salvation He has worked in. Independence must be blasted right out of a saint. God's providence seems to pay no attention whatever to our individual ideas because He is after only one thing- 'that they may be one, even as We are one.' It may look like a thorough breaking up of the life, but it will end in a manifestation of the Christian self in oneness with God."

Oswald Chambers

Whom Do You Serve? (A Christian Seminar)

Whom do you serve? GOD or MAN?

A free seminar on higher law for Christians

Christians, Government, and Righteous Resistance

All Christians welcome

Free Admission

Saturday, June 27^th 1:00-5:00 pm

Location: Candlelight Christian Fellowship

 5725 N. Pioneer Drive

   Coeur D’ Alene, ID 83815

Topics:

·        How should Christians respond to a supreme court ruling that sanctions homosexual marriage…and laws that compel Christians to serve evil?

·        What does it mean to be a Christian in a society that calls evil good and good evil?

·        How much obedience do Christians owe rulers?

·        Can Christians love the wicked and righteously resist them at the same time?

·        What does righteous resistance look like?

“We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29)

“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20)

Sponsored by 

www.ahahigherlaw.com

Political/ World Issues- "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:"

Pray for Families of Women Killed for Faith

   May. 09, 2014 | Middle East

"On April 30 and May 1, three Christian women were killed in separate incidents by Muslim family members. A 38-year-old woman was shot to death by her two brothers shortly after they learned that she had been talking with a missionary over Skype and that she had a Bible. In a second incident, a man stabbed to death his 22-year-old sister when he caught her with a Christian CD. The woman had previously talked with her brother about Jesus. The man left his sister's body in front of a hospital before seeking treatment for his own hand wound at a government hospital. In the third incident, a man beat his daughter to death by hitting her on the head with a stone. He turned himself over to police and confessed to the killing, knowing that he probably would not face serious punishment. He reportedly told police that his daughter had continued to attend church despite his warnings. Please pray for those impacted by the women's deaths, their fellow believers, friends and loved ones. Please also pray for those leading this group of believers during this very difficult time."
Taken exclusively from the Voice of the Martyrs (www.persecution.com)

This is only one of many examples of the persecution that is being faced daily by Christian around the world. However, this particularly gripped my heart. So I wanted to share it with you as well. Honestly, I cannot quite fathom this completely- growing up in a Christian home, in a country, much blessed by religious freedom. My family, too, knows Christ. I am learning more and more, of the extremely precious value in this and yet how uncommon it is. Truly, I am blessed beyond words. So many only experience severe persecution or even death, from their relatives and others also, after converting to Christianity.

It is a relatively simple thing to say- we are willing to die for Christ. But it is another to live it. And although you may never have the opportunity to be literally "martyred" for the name of Christ, as these three women were, can you still say honestly that "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;" (Romans 1:16)? And yes, I used the word opportunity. I thank the Lord for the encouragement in seeing others willing to sacrifice themselves for Christ. And though, I am not in a similar place, I desire also, to have this same heart. And yet, it would seem beyond ironic to say "I am willing to die for the name of Christ"...if we are not also willing to live for that same name. And so I challenge you. To be a laid-down life. To be a consecrated heart towards God. To live for Him, who died for us. He is worthy.

"Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body." (Hebrews 13:3)