TITLE: LET US FOCUS ON WHAT BINDS US TOGETHER By Jide Oboise 05/18/08 |
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This topic, i believe is ripe for a time like this, not with the crisis that seem to be rocking the whole of Christendom at the moment.
It seems as if we do not know what we are doing at all!
As we see situations unfold from church to church, especially in the Pentecostal fold the case is almost the same, stories never really differ, of bad experiences of unimaginable things that should not even be expected of a person in the secular world who says he is principled not to talk of CHRISTIANS!
Many, who want to worship in truth and Holiness are disillusioned and are at the point of discouragement, they ask ‘is there really a true church’?
In the book of Acts chapters I-3 we read about the acts of the Apostles of Jesus Christ, power within the fold after the Savior just left them in ascension to His heavenly Throne, the experience at PENTECOST is the most amazing display of unity in brotherhood, the Bible describes them as being in one accord (one spirit, one body, one soul, despite the fact that they were many under one roof) because of the spiritual bond, they could burst into Heavenly tongues that it was visibly SEEN on them and people could tell the difference between them and those who were not of the fold.
How is it that today the story is different, even now that man seems to be more intellectual (At least, knowledge has truly increased!) science can boast of daily breaking new frontiers (as if God was not there before us!), how is it that we seem to be in a confused state as per what is expected of us and the power that we have within to wield at pleasure to scatter the enemy’s tactics and gatherings in our private and corporate lives?
We are not even sure of our worth in Christ Jesus, we are not sure of our standing such thatwe fear the sound of everything, from a door that creaks, to the wind when it blows too much, a loud bang outside and so on, His word says He has not given us the spirit of fear but of a sound mind------ but I hear cases of brethren who have been fifty years (my exaggeration!) in the church but they are suffering from all sorts of phobia! We even fear to die! Why? But we proclaim daily that we want to be with Jesus!
Amazing and sad stories of adultery (very common place in some churches), divorce (I hear the church has the highest rate than the secular world in some countries!!!!!), struggle for position and power in the church (this is the order of the day) that many trample down other brethren to get what they want, even when obviously they are not gifted for that position, back stabbing, gossiping, name maligning, slander, court battles (where has the Bible injunction that we should not take a brother who has offended us to court been thrown to?), fornication is rampant (often, the choir seems to be more guilty of this more than ever ) and the congregation and pastor in charge usually are aware but everyone pretends and turns a blind eye but raising holy(?) hands and voices to bring down the Holy spirit(?), stealing (believe it or not, church leaders , ushers and elders have been found out and are still doing it, dipping their hands into church coffers, carting away loads of dough!!!!)
Not surprising that the church is in derision and ridiculed everyday by sarcastic people of the world or and especially other religions, who when preached to, say ’go and clean out your church first or give me a reason why I should want to be one of you guys?
Is it not so and so, in your church choir, sleeping with so and so or was it not last week that we just read in the papers about the pastor who stole millions from the church funds or pastor so and so is sleeping with deacon so and so's wife or his choir member ’ The dirty stories are unending!
Has the church been taken over by devil's advocates, can we find a few righteous because I believe that is the only reason why God will not destroy ALL since He says judgement shall begin from His house?
I guess we should feel some consolation in His assurance that, for a purpose the wheat and the chaff are being allowed to grow together that at the fullness of time the CHAFF shall be uprooted, gathered together and burnt! Halleluiah!
MY CONCLUSION AND ADVICE:
Let us (I MEAN THOSE WHO ARE TRULY CALLED BY HIS NAME, you know your secret works and HE DEFINETLY DOES!) begin to pray fervently for the Church at large, do not worry yourself about what you see being practiced on a large scale in so many Churches, so long as they have hidden under the UMBRELLA-Church, and the name of Jesus is proclaimed out loud (though they might secretly be up to no good), just let us keep being on our knees and grow camel’s knees in the process, satan fears the Christian on his knees! Thank God for the recent international prayer week.
Jesus Christ is the name at the mention of which every knee must bow and every tongue confesses that HE ALONE IS LORD!
LET US FOCUS ON WHAT BINDS US TOGETHER RATHER THAN WHAT SEPARATES US, Love, like Jesus proclaimed and professed is the key-love the brethren like yourself,Holiness and faithfulness in the things of the Kingdom is important, willingness to accept change from within by the Holy Spirit to take away the old nature for the new and pure nature of the Almighty.
Without these can we not bind truly together nor relate as we should ONE BODY in Christ Jesus.
Shalom!
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