I think...
When we are busy doing the work of the ACDP in a 'self righteous' way we get spiritually confused. I like Barry's clear take on separating what the church has to do - from what sinners are doing. I came to the conclusion some time ago that we have confused things (all of us in the ACDP) - not that Christians cannot be in politics but that 'politics' is apart from the work of the church - it cannot be the work of the church. Politics like any other career is just another opportunity for Christians to hopefully 'glow in the dark' - and that will be seen not so much in what we say but how we say it. What we do is also important but - if no genuine love for others is evident - we may as well not be there!
We (Christians in politics) as politicians can have an opinion about deLille, Zille, Zuma, Malema etc etc and can speak the truth when necessary - but as a Christian we are going to have to develop a love for them that is not impacted by what they do or say as sinners. This I believe is what 'really' being a Christian is about - not easy!
Now - God forbid that I would be preaching - but - I was just thinking - with so many with super-skills as evangelists - we should be clear about this - so we don't add to the confusion and that our 'super' skills are not wasted!
I subscribe to the 'Barry' philosophy on worship to!
'The challenges of the worlds moral imperatives does not change our challenges. It was the World Council of Churches which presumed to attend to political and other matters. Evangelicals challenged this and churches grew. And today TRUE churches attend to the evangelism of Jesus at the well where he met the samaritan woman. Here he mentions her life and her 5 husbands and her clear shacking up with the present one. But when she talks about the water in the well, He broaches the LIVING water.
Here Jesus the Christ, is the evangelist. AND He is the compassionate one.
She never expected this!
She came dead to the Spirit but she leaves with living water and does what every converted person does, immediately TESTIFIES, “come see a man she says, that told me of everything I ever did.”
She realises it was the sin.
But now she knows that in Jesus never talking down to her, that EVERYONE including her can receive Gods forgiveness and grace.
And she wants everyone to KNOW!
Here is a pattern. For us we need to share in the sorrows of others and then we will find they RESPOND. And we shall know the efficacy of our witness ,by the witness and testimony of the person we brought to the LIGHT.
WE must not, like the old World Council of Churches, go beyond our charge.
Satan want Christians to reform, chastise, rather than spend much time with the poor in spirit, for every unsaved person is poor in spirit. Are we like Jesus as desribed above?
Christians are those who are behoven to be righteous, to not break even one of the ten commandments. No we are not to commit adultery, be unfaithful, we don’t abort our child, we don’t
covet, we work hard and diligently, we don’t invite hypocrisy in our lives. Once a person had turned around, yes we can expect righteous selfless sacrificial service
But look to see how effective the rantings of the WCC lookalikes of today’s Christian activists, the attacks on the media and the authorities, even some marches on parliament, have been? We make ourselves a laughing stock by our arrogance and demands.
Because the world says”where is the promise of His (Jesus the Lord) coming (again) and the writer replies and says “God is not slack concerning His promise but is long-suffering not willing that any should perish, but all should come to repentance.
I truly believe if the world see us as caring, they will be drawn to the Saviour. They will ask, “what spurs these people, so helpful so giving, so humble of spirit, and they tell us of the light maybe we were looking for”
Expecting the world, governments, the media, the homosexuals, the abortionists, the brothel keepers, the traffickers, Mavericks, TO CHANGE their ways, without personally giving them the LIGHT is a damnable HERESY.
What is worship? Is it waving our hands, performing spiritual duties? Good as they are, like meaningful prayer. No it is the way WE (not the world) live our lives. The prodigal son by returning from his backslidden ways and coming back to God was worshipping, and his father in forgiving him was worshipping. And if we give to and spend time and what we have the poor prostitute who suffers, the one who aborted or IS - one is worshipping.
We have missed the message that Jesus gave us. He is coming again. There will be two at the mill
grinding corn and one will be taken and the other one left.
No he is NOT slack concerning his promise.
Most churches don’t present the soon coming Lord anymore. We must expect the world to be becoming MORE evil. I am sorry the reformed churches have forgotten this, wonderful as they are about Grace, sin and salvation.
Where will YOU be, Christian? Hell is one thing but to be left at His “coming again in like manner as he ascended into heaven”. That would be a terrible thing.
Barry
Rather we attend to those who made wrong decisions, share what we have with them. and then show them the LIVING WATER OF LIFE.'
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