Just a quick thought. I think it is sometimes difficult for people to follow people who have not experienced the same things that they themselves might be experiencing. Continue reading “Jesus gets it!” »
Tag Archive - Sin
Some confession…
Sometimes I think, as Pastors, we can inadvertently get placed on the “perfect list”. There seems to be something about being a Pastor that causes people to immediately think we are super righteous and perfect in all our ways. That being said, when we mess up and do what the average “Joe” has done a 1,000 times, its multiplied 1,000 times. So with your permission I simply want to make some confessions… Continue reading “Some confession…” »
Discrimination Nation!
Starts in the Church! Who’s church? Every church!
When repentance began to be preached, Jesus was specific that it needed to start in the “most holy” place, the religous center, the church of the day, Jerusalem.
“And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” Luke 24:47
Jesus is calling you out!
Every day God allows me to live, I grow ever more bold in His word. Especially with regards to one word, LOVE. “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:36-40
Yet, this is the one single most identifiable area of sin in our lives and specifically in our churches! We have become a Discrimination Nation! Now see, your first thought is Black and White, and although that continues to be an ever aware issue in many churches today, especially very traditional rural America churches, it is a much broader sin than that. Many churches and church groups have become “clicks”, “country clubs”, “socially sterile”, “like interest”, groups of people who literally raise HELL among their ranks when their hand is called to recieve the drug addict, alcoholic, homosexual, tattooed, pierced, long haired, other race, poor, uneducated, divorced, interacially married, gambler, fiscally irresponsible, etc., the list is exaustive!
I challenge all churches, members of churches, and pastors everywhere, to sincerely look at your church and ask the question…Do we LOVE PEOPLE? The people word is all-inclusive, none to be left out. If you say yes BUT…I don’t want them in my church or group, then shame on you, because your heart is filled with SIN that is greater than any other sin known to God. If LOVE is the greatest of all commandments and was demonstrated unconditionally by Jesus Christ in the New Covenant then it stands to reason your unwillingness to recieve and LOVE those who are very much different is also the greatest SIN, because you heart is not willing to obey the greatest command UNCONDITIONALLY.
“If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?…” Matthew 5:46
“And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others?…” Matthew 5:47
This is your call to LOVE!
