Here's a question for you ... 'What do you think Jesus thinks of your church?'
"Well, I really like our church."
Sure. OK. But trust me, God has standards that are a little higher than yours.
Now ... maybe there are some things wrong with your church -- but you can’t fix all those -- you can only focus on fixing you. You can complain about your church and criticize your church, but in the end, you can’t change that. You can only focus on changing you. So, based on that, what do you think Jesus thinks of your church?
And here's an important follow-up question: 'What kind of church are you?' And maybe even more important than both of those: 'What if every person at your church was like you?'
Think about it ... what if everyone at your church served like you? Maybe you'd have volunteers coming out of your ears. Or maybe there would be absolutely nobody doing anything at all.
What if everyone at your church gave the way you do? Maybe you'd come one weekend and the pastor would say: 'Everybody needs to stop giving because we just have too much and we don't know what to do with it.' Or perhaps, if everyone gave like you, you'd come to church some weekend and all the lights would be off because they couldn't pay the electricity bill that month.
What if everyone at your church had the thoughts you had?
What if everyone spoke like you?
What if everyone at your church had the attitudes you have?
What if everyone prayed like you?
What kind of church would you have if those things were true? I don’t think it’s a bad QUESTION.
And be blessed.
8 comments:
Today, I really identified with the woman in your video who said it would be more like a rollercoaster. I tend to follow my emotions far too often. No matter how often you have advised me not to, I can't seem to turn them off.
I don't want to look behind me right now...unless I am intending to learn from it. I want to look ahead to a bright future. God brought together the right circumstances, the right place and the right answer for my situation right now. There is no way that anyone else could have done this. He has shown me incredible mercy, when I expected discipline for the sins I have committed.
I felt so loved and I love Him so much, too! I still get shivers when I speak to Him from my heart! I can feel Him living inside of me and it is the most wonderful feeling to know He is with me always. My part of the church is ready for a very sweet time with Jesus...I'm really glad this is the first day of Spring, because I love to go on walks in nature and just talk with Him in the sunshine. Those have been some of my closest times with Him.
I've never suggested you turn your emotions off. I don't even know how anyone would be able to start doing that. I have only suggested we don't become directed by them or allow them to control our responses. Keep your eyes and ears on Jesus and you'll make it thru anything.
I'm sorry, PK...I just meant you said not to be led by my emotions, the way I am so often.
Yes, He has shown me so much love and that I can trust Him to be there with me. This miracle in my life, that only He could have orchestrated, has given me more faith that I really can turn to Him for my needs. I just feel very blessed.
It's OK. No need to be sorry. I'm excited for the journey you're on and believe great things for you in the future. Way to go!
I am extremely excited, too! He is so good to me! :) I don't know what I would do without Him.
Sometimes our friends make choices that we know are wrong. If we ignore their behavior and let them continue in it, we won't be showing love to them. We show love by honestly sharing our concerns in order to help these friends do and be their very best for God. When we don't make any move to help, we show that we are more concerned about being well liked than about what will happen to them.
Church Cor. 2:5-11
Church discipline should seek restoration. Two mistakes in church discipline should be avoided- being too lienient and not correcting mistakes, or being too harsh and not forgiving the sinner. There is a time to confront and a time to comfort. We must remember that our purpose in discipline is to restore a person to the fellowship, not to destroy him or her. We must be cautious that personal anger is not vented under the guise of church discipline.
Proverbs27:6 says:
"Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses."
Post a Comment