Now that’s an odd expression isn’t it? Yet that’s exactly what I heard the Lord say this morning. So, still being as inquisitive like the little boy I once was, I asked Him what that meant and His answer was more serious than I had first thought.
He showed me that very many churches in these end days are still camped far closer to hell than to heaven. They do not preach the gospel – they preach prosperity of all believers. They do not really reach out – rather they have their own events with their own agendas and these events only reach the church and perhaps some of their friends who are mostly ‘Christian’ anyway.
Many of today’s churches are simply extended ‘glee clubs’ – social organisations where the habits and general behaviour of members is often even more shameful than the habits and behaviour of the world. There is very little of God in them – if anything at all – because they are so far departed from their calling that they are in effect apostate churches. They worship money and possessions. They value who they know and who is in their social strata above anything to do with Jesus Christ. Indeed, many are embarrassed to even mention His wonderful Name
All this shook me up a little but I pressed on and asked about the precipice of hell and He said this. “Those churches that have moved away from My Gospel; those churches who have made My house a house of ill-repute rather than a house of prayer; those churches who have no real love for their congregation except for what they can get from them rather than what they can feed them; these churches may as well be standing on a precipice overlooking the gates of hell because their people will walk straight out of one into the other. I hold both shepherds and sheep responsible for their own actions and to many of these I will say ‘Away from Me you evil doers – I do not know you!’
I was shaken up by all this and I prayed that He would never have to say this to me, but I pressed on again. “How can we stop this Lord?” He replied, “I am looking for an army of those willing to be a voice in the wilderness, like John the Baptist, who will call the church to repent and turn from her wicked ways. I am seeking those who will walk within a yard of hell and bring my people back to higher, safer ground. I am seeking those who would even lose their lives for Me and My Gospel in order to save My Church, My Bride.”
As did Isaiah before me, I cried out to my God, “Here am I, Lord. Send me.” Are there any more out there who are willing to do the same. Are you willing to be reviled, scorned, and rejected by many churches? Are you willing to bless them, but brush the dirt of your feet as you leave? Are you willing to give your all to Jesus Christ – your saviour. The cost may be high, the journey rough, the rewards none. This may cost you everything, but if you are willing to go deeper in Him and stand out for Him, fearless and unashamed, despite what the world is saying, then your crown will shine that little bit brighter.
As 2011 dawns, will you join me now, and stay until Jesus returns?
Friday, 31 December 2010
Tuesday, 28 December 2010
Integrated of segregated?
Integrated of segregated?
My new wife recently went to a ladies coffee morning at our church. It was her first such morning as she has only just arrived here from Texas. We are a small church but nevertheless 10 ladies turned up – which was a great turnout as a welcome for her. Looking at the photo’s later, we realised that in those 10 women 7 countries were represented – and another four are always possible. In our church we have representatives from England, France, Taiwan, Malaysia, British Guyana, USA, China, Nigeria, Ghana, Spain, and Chile. We are a totally integrated church and anyone & everyone, literally, is very welcome. As part of a ministry team, I travel all over Europe and we have found similar congregations spread around all over the place. There are many churches like this throughout the UK and all over Europe and, during my recent trip to Texas, where we got married, I noticed a very sharp contrast with America.
In the USA, speaking to quite a few people in Texas – which I am taking as my microcosm sample for the whole country – you either go to a ‘Black Church’, a ‘White Church’, or a ‘Hispanic Church’. There is very little or no mixing. We went to a large (1500 congregation) church while I was there and I was very happily surprised to be greeted by two ‘black’ gentlemen who very warmly welcomed us to the service. We were welcomed again and again inside by many of the ‘white’ people there as well and it was altogether a very good service to attend. The Holy Spirit was welcome in that church. However – apart from the greeters on the door, there were probably no more than 20 ’blacks’ in the whole 1500 congregation. I commented on this to my wife and learned the very sad truth about the segregation still practiced within the church. True to say, it is very well hidden segregation nowadays but it is there. Whites will not go to a perceived black church and blacks wont go to a perceived white church. Neither will go to a Hispanic one and vice versa. Oh – ok – but perhaps 20 in a 1500 congregation isn’t exactly integration is it??? Especially when its a very good mixed area with roughly a 50/50 demographic split.
Now, let me say this before I am accused of writing a racist article here. These are facts, based mainly upon observation, and they sadden me beyond belief – just imagine what this is doing to the Holy Spirit ?? I am using the style of ‘black’ and ‘white’ simply for emphasis but there really shouldn’t be the necessity of such things. We really shouldn’t need to speak about these things but they are such an afront to Gods heart.
Racism is alive and firing on all four cylinders in the Church today and I say it is a dreadful disgrace – an insult to our intelligence and a sin before God. Oh, I think this is not confined to America and I daresay that if you go into not a few churches here in the UK and all over Europe, there will be racism of the kind I describe here in those churches too. It has just come as a bit of a shock to me that’s all.
I was born and bred in London and we seem have always had a wonderfully cosmopolitan population in our churches – so I am used to complete integration. No black church – no white church – no anything other than just plain church. Is it so difficult for us to accept our brothers and sisters in the Lord whilst ignoring their colour, their creed, their language, their status, or their ethnicity. There will be no segregation in heaven. God only ever looks at our hearts – can we not try to do the same.
Please ???
My new wife recently went to a ladies coffee morning at our church. It was her first such morning as she has only just arrived here from Texas. We are a small church but nevertheless 10 ladies turned up – which was a great turnout as a welcome for her. Looking at the photo’s later, we realised that in those 10 women 7 countries were represented – and another four are always possible. In our church we have representatives from England, France, Taiwan, Malaysia, British Guyana, USA, China, Nigeria, Ghana, Spain, and Chile. We are a totally integrated church and anyone & everyone, literally, is very welcome. As part of a ministry team, I travel all over Europe and we have found similar congregations spread around all over the place. There are many churches like this throughout the UK and all over Europe and, during my recent trip to Texas, where we got married, I noticed a very sharp contrast with America.
In the USA, speaking to quite a few people in Texas – which I am taking as my microcosm sample for the whole country – you either go to a ‘Black Church’, a ‘White Church’, or a ‘Hispanic Church’. There is very little or no mixing. We went to a large (1500 congregation) church while I was there and I was very happily surprised to be greeted by two ‘black’ gentlemen who very warmly welcomed us to the service. We were welcomed again and again inside by many of the ‘white’ people there as well and it was altogether a very good service to attend. The Holy Spirit was welcome in that church. However – apart from the greeters on the door, there were probably no more than 20 ’blacks’ in the whole 1500 congregation. I commented on this to my wife and learned the very sad truth about the segregation still practiced within the church. True to say, it is very well hidden segregation nowadays but it is there. Whites will not go to a perceived black church and blacks wont go to a perceived white church. Neither will go to a Hispanic one and vice versa. Oh – ok – but perhaps 20 in a 1500 congregation isn’t exactly integration is it??? Especially when its a very good mixed area with roughly a 50/50 demographic split.
Now, let me say this before I am accused of writing a racist article here. These are facts, based mainly upon observation, and they sadden me beyond belief – just imagine what this is doing to the Holy Spirit ?? I am using the style of ‘black’ and ‘white’ simply for emphasis but there really shouldn’t be the necessity of such things. We really shouldn’t need to speak about these things but they are such an afront to Gods heart.
Racism is alive and firing on all four cylinders in the Church today and I say it is a dreadful disgrace – an insult to our intelligence and a sin before God. Oh, I think this is not confined to America and I daresay that if you go into not a few churches here in the UK and all over Europe, there will be racism of the kind I describe here in those churches too. It has just come as a bit of a shock to me that’s all.
I was born and bred in London and we seem have always had a wonderfully cosmopolitan population in our churches – so I am used to complete integration. No black church – no white church – no anything other than just plain church. Is it so difficult for us to accept our brothers and sisters in the Lord whilst ignoring their colour, their creed, their language, their status, or their ethnicity. There will be no segregation in heaven. God only ever looks at our hearts – can we not try to do the same.
Please ???
Tuesday, 21 December 2010
Breakthrough !!
For me, 2009 was the year of opening doors – especially those doors that seemed shut for ever, whilst 2010 was the year of reaping that which we have sown. The Lord brought these thoughts to me as I sat pondering the past year – trying to prepare our annual ministry report. He reminded me, as if I needed reminding, that He had fulfilled His promise of a wife. He reminded me of the wonderful visits we have made this past year – of the wonderful men and women of God we have had the privilege of meeting and to whom we have had the honour to minister. On a more personal level of course, meeting my wife and having the great honour of marrying her was the great blessing and highlight. Then finally, the icing on the cake for me, my son and daughter in law announced their second baby – due in June next year.
Yet there were other quieter moments too, when the presence of God threatened to knock us all off our feet; when it was more appropriate to be silent and prostrate ourselves before Him – allowing him to minister to us. Oh yes – believe me – despite what the world may think or what may have been happening in worldly terms, 2010 has been an incredible year of blessing.
My musings were interrupted when the Lord spoke again. “Breakthrough” – just that one word was all He said. My hearts soared as I considered it and as I considered what He has spoken about revival coming to a town near you very soon. Thinking I had better not assume too much, to be honest my record isn’t perfect in this area, I enquired of the Lord about it. “Yes – breakthrough”, He said. “I have opened the doors and you have gone through them. You have reaped some of that which you have sown. Now – 2011 – is the year when you will see real breakthrough. Revival is coming at a rush. Tell My people to prepare – to get ready. Time is so short and there is a mighty harvest to be brought in. Get your harvest workers prepared – prepare yourselves – I am coming – SOON! Be ready for breakthrough as I start to move things out of the way – those things that have hindered you for so long. Your path shall be made straight and the harvest will be made easy – it is, after all, My yoke that I am asking you to bear. Your joy shall be so great yet those who would still oppose me shall still oppose you. They shall try to make your way hard, uphill even. But My Spirit shall be with you and He shall make you able where previously you have felt quite inadequate to the task. Yes, I, the Lord, has spoken it – breakthrough is yours when you stay in My will and obedient to My words.”
2011 is the year of BREAKTHROUGH for the Church – in preparation for the return of our Lord – when He comes to fetch His Bride.
Yet there were other quieter moments too, when the presence of God threatened to knock us all off our feet; when it was more appropriate to be silent and prostrate ourselves before Him – allowing him to minister to us. Oh yes – believe me – despite what the world may think or what may have been happening in worldly terms, 2010 has been an incredible year of blessing.
My musings were interrupted when the Lord spoke again. “Breakthrough” – just that one word was all He said. My hearts soared as I considered it and as I considered what He has spoken about revival coming to a town near you very soon. Thinking I had better not assume too much, to be honest my record isn’t perfect in this area, I enquired of the Lord about it. “Yes – breakthrough”, He said. “I have opened the doors and you have gone through them. You have reaped some of that which you have sown. Now – 2011 – is the year when you will see real breakthrough. Revival is coming at a rush. Tell My people to prepare – to get ready. Time is so short and there is a mighty harvest to be brought in. Get your harvest workers prepared – prepare yourselves – I am coming – SOON! Be ready for breakthrough as I start to move things out of the way – those things that have hindered you for so long. Your path shall be made straight and the harvest will be made easy – it is, after all, My yoke that I am asking you to bear. Your joy shall be so great yet those who would still oppose me shall still oppose you. They shall try to make your way hard, uphill even. But My Spirit shall be with you and He shall make you able where previously you have felt quite inadequate to the task. Yes, I, the Lord, has spoken it – breakthrough is yours when you stay in My will and obedient to My words.”
2011 is the year of BREAKTHROUGH for the Church – in preparation for the return of our Lord – when He comes to fetch His Bride.
Saturday, 18 December 2010
A WORD FOR 2011
By this shall we be known
I recently put out this short message on Twitter and FB – “I believe it’s of huge importance that the church starts to reflect & demonstrate Jesus love more - or we are just as lost as all the unsaved.”
To which I got the response – “So True. We cannot act like the world. By this shall we be known: That we love one another.”
I answered with this – “In our church we are so blessed. At our recent Christmas dinner, a lady who has only just joined us commented this - "I have been in many churches over the years but I have never known one like this where I have been welcomed with total and unconditional love." This is due in huge measure to our wonderful pastors Richard and Joyce Hill. The love of Jesus shines through them beautifully.”
I think this leads me quite nicely into my Word for 2011 - By this shall we be known
Love is the difference between our faith and all the others. Love is what made our God, the Lord God Almighty – that is His Name – send His Son to die so that we might live with and in Him eternally. We call that eternal life.
In Matthew 16;13-20 we read :-
“Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. “
A little later on, in John’s Gospel, we read this :-
John 13:34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”
John 13:35 ”By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 15:12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
John 15:17 “These things I command you, that you love one another.”
Jesus regarded this as so important, the Bible tells us that He said it no less than FOUR times.
In Matthew 7:16, Jesus says another very important thing - that “You will know them by their fruits.”
Then in Galatians, Paul confirms all this again by saying in Galatians 5:22-23 NKJ V
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
Once again, love is top of the list.
For years and years the church has shown little love to the world and even less to many of its members. I believe the Lord is calling and challenging us that ”By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” He is talking about love. As you have already read, I am so blessed to belong to a loving church yet I know very very many who are not so blessed. Countless numbers have left the church because of the lack of love, the cant, and hypocrisy they have found in their churches.
Brothers, sisters – it is time to turn the clock back 2000 years and show love to one another and to everyone of those around us. Family, friends, enemies, work colleagues, neighbours and every single person with whom we come into contact. All of them need the love of Christ in their lives and the Lord is challenging us to love them, our ‘neighbours’ as we love ourselves.
What could happen in 2011 if we actually did even a little bit more loving and a whole lot less hating? We could also do a whole lot more living too.
CGB 18 Dec 2010
I recently put out this short message on Twitter and FB – “I believe it’s of huge importance that the church starts to reflect & demonstrate Jesus love more - or we are just as lost as all the unsaved.”
To which I got the response – “So True. We cannot act like the world. By this shall we be known: That we love one another.”
I answered with this – “In our church we are so blessed. At our recent Christmas dinner, a lady who has only just joined us commented this - "I have been in many churches over the years but I have never known one like this where I have been welcomed with total and unconditional love." This is due in huge measure to our wonderful pastors Richard and Joyce Hill. The love of Jesus shines through them beautifully.”
I think this leads me quite nicely into my Word for 2011 - By this shall we be known
Love is the difference between our faith and all the others. Love is what made our God, the Lord God Almighty – that is His Name – send His Son to die so that we might live with and in Him eternally. We call that eternal life.
In Matthew 16;13-20 we read :-
“Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. “
A little later on, in John’s Gospel, we read this :-
John 13:34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”
John 13:35 ”By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 15:12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
John 15:17 “These things I command you, that you love one another.”
Jesus regarded this as so important, the Bible tells us that He said it no less than FOUR times.
In Matthew 7:16, Jesus says another very important thing - that “You will know them by their fruits.”
Then in Galatians, Paul confirms all this again by saying in Galatians 5:22-23 NKJ V
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
Once again, love is top of the list.
For years and years the church has shown little love to the world and even less to many of its members. I believe the Lord is calling and challenging us that ”By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” He is talking about love. As you have already read, I am so blessed to belong to a loving church yet I know very very many who are not so blessed. Countless numbers have left the church because of the lack of love, the cant, and hypocrisy they have found in their churches.
Brothers, sisters – it is time to turn the clock back 2000 years and show love to one another and to everyone of those around us. Family, friends, enemies, work colleagues, neighbours and every single person with whom we come into contact. All of them need the love of Christ in their lives and the Lord is challenging us to love them, our ‘neighbours’ as we love ourselves.
What could happen in 2011 if we actually did even a little bit more loving and a whole lot less hating? We could also do a whole lot more living too.
CGB 18 Dec 2010
Friday, 17 December 2010
THIS is Christmas
I put out this quote on Faceook & Twitter – “It's Not About the Pagan Christmas Bonanza, But the Celebration of the Greatest Gift ever given to mankind. Our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Here is the wonderful response I got from Steve 'n' Trachena Muchnick
"A STRONG YET LOVING MESSAGE TO THE SCROOGES OF SOCIAL NETWORKS"
As a Pastor, I have an obligation to the inerrant Word of God to be loving, forgiving, tolerant, understanding, slow to speak and not easily angered, and about 2,000 more adjectives that I cannot fit here. As a Christian, I have an obligation to be bold in my witness, teach and preach with LOVE, so that people are DRAWN to the message of The Cross, not pushed away. As a father, I have an obligation to be as much like my Heavenly Father as possible, truthful, reverent, understanding, strong, LOVING, kind patient and tolerant, and another 2,000 Fill-in-the-blank words!
So, with that being said, where am I going with all this? This is where.....TO ALL THE SCROOGES on Facebook and Twitter and Blogger and WordPress and so on and so on, that are trying to convince the entire social networking world that Christmas is a pagan holiday and that Santa Claus was like some long lost brother of satan..........GET THEE BEHIND ME!!!! You are a group of very legalistic and Pharisee like people that look so hard for something to be wrong in the middle of something that is just so right! If you had some sort of traumatic hurt and pain on Christmas morning many years ago that caused you to hate Christmas...we are all sorry and we LOVE you even more because you are hurt, but do not blame the Roman calendar or the guy in the beard at the mall taking pictures with your our kids!
HERE IS THE MESSAGE THAT I WANT TO GET ACROSS TO YOU WITH LOVE!
December 25, April 9, August 20th.....whatever day it really was is the day we CELEBRATE.....SAY IT WITH ME NOW.....CELEBRATE the birth of The Son of God as a baby in Bethlehem. How do people that truly believe in the virgin birth, the Blood sacrifice of The Cross and the FREE gift of salvation, find themselves so lost and confused and caring so much about the actual date, or the commercialized symbols of Santa, and NOT focus on The ONLY BEGOTTEN Son of God?
OK, for all of you that are offended by this because you are SURE that the Roman calendar was done wrong and that Jesus was really born on, let's say September20th, get over yourselves and pick up a more worthwhile cross, like preaching to your UNSAVED family members and co-workers before they end up in the wrong place. So, in summary, here it is;
Christmas is about the BIRTH of our savior, and the very beginning of the reason that if you know Him and accept His Son as your Savior, you WILL be spending eternity with Him.
Easter, by the way, is the END of that Story here on Earth and the beginning of the most precious and undeserved period of Grace that the world has EVER seen! Santa Claus is for kids, so is the Easter Bunny. NOBODY is posting that Barney is The Antichrist, are they?
Christmas Day, whatever day it REALLY is, is the day that LOVE was born! Nothing less yet so much more!
And last but not least, God hated the legalistic Pharisees because they were hypocrites, and had ZERO tolerance for them because they gave FALSE teachings and led people astray!
So, all of you that have made it to this point in my note, wake up on Christmas morning, pick up the plate of cookies that Santa ate, check the driveway for anything those reindeer may have left as a surprise, hug your spouses and your kids, and then drop to your knees and thank GOD that to us........A SAVIOR WAS BORN ON CHRISTMAS DAY!
Merry Christmas to ALL......and to ALL a Good Night!
Here is the wonderful response I got from Steve 'n' Trachena Muchnick
"A STRONG YET LOVING MESSAGE TO THE SCROOGES OF SOCIAL NETWORKS"
As a Pastor, I have an obligation to the inerrant Word of God to be loving, forgiving, tolerant, understanding, slow to speak and not easily angered, and about 2,000 more adjectives that I cannot fit here. As a Christian, I have an obligation to be bold in my witness, teach and preach with LOVE, so that people are DRAWN to the message of The Cross, not pushed away. As a father, I have an obligation to be as much like my Heavenly Father as possible, truthful, reverent, understanding, strong, LOVING, kind patient and tolerant, and another 2,000 Fill-in-the-blank words!
So, with that being said, where am I going with all this? This is where.....TO ALL THE SCROOGES on Facebook and Twitter and Blogger and WordPress and so on and so on, that are trying to convince the entire social networking world that Christmas is a pagan holiday and that Santa Claus was like some long lost brother of satan..........GET THEE BEHIND ME!!!! You are a group of very legalistic and Pharisee like people that look so hard for something to be wrong in the middle of something that is just so right! If you had some sort of traumatic hurt and pain on Christmas morning many years ago that caused you to hate Christmas...we are all sorry and we LOVE you even more because you are hurt, but do not blame the Roman calendar or the guy in the beard at the mall taking pictures with your our kids!
HERE IS THE MESSAGE THAT I WANT TO GET ACROSS TO YOU WITH LOVE!
December 25, April 9, August 20th.....whatever day it really was is the day we CELEBRATE.....SAY IT WITH ME NOW.....CELEBRATE the birth of The Son of God as a baby in Bethlehem. How do people that truly believe in the virgin birth, the Blood sacrifice of The Cross and the FREE gift of salvation, find themselves so lost and confused and caring so much about the actual date, or the commercialized symbols of Santa, and NOT focus on The ONLY BEGOTTEN Son of God?
OK, for all of you that are offended by this because you are SURE that the Roman calendar was done wrong and that Jesus was really born on, let's say September20th, get over yourselves and pick up a more worthwhile cross, like preaching to your UNSAVED family members and co-workers before they end up in the wrong place. So, in summary, here it is;
Christmas is about the BIRTH of our savior, and the very beginning of the reason that if you know Him and accept His Son as your Savior, you WILL be spending eternity with Him.
Easter, by the way, is the END of that Story here on Earth and the beginning of the most precious and undeserved period of Grace that the world has EVER seen! Santa Claus is for kids, so is the Easter Bunny. NOBODY is posting that Barney is The Antichrist, are they?
Christmas Day, whatever day it REALLY is, is the day that LOVE was born! Nothing less yet so much more!
And last but not least, God hated the legalistic Pharisees because they were hypocrites, and had ZERO tolerance for them because they gave FALSE teachings and led people astray!
So, all of you that have made it to this point in my note, wake up on Christmas morning, pick up the plate of cookies that Santa ate, check the driveway for anything those reindeer may have left as a surprise, hug your spouses and your kids, and then drop to your knees and thank GOD that to us........A SAVIOR WAS BORN ON CHRISTMAS DAY!
Merry Christmas to ALL......and to ALL a Good Night!
Wednesday, 8 December 2010
Accountability and Integrity
I recently wrote this note to Facebook :-
“Sometimes we express on Facebook that which we would not or could not express in our churches. There are reasons for this -
Firstly there is no real accountability here. We do not have to look someone in the eye as we speak out our comments.
Secondly we are bold because we are 'in secret' and some of us will not even reveal our names for fear of being 'caught out'.
Thirdly, we can express here the secret things God has laid on our hearts without fear of scorn or rebuke or laughter. BUT
Finally, God sees our every word - even those we delete and type again differently. Yours - mine - everybody's words. God sees everything and we will all have to answer one day for any loose words we have put out here - even if you are the only one who knows it was a cheap shot.
So maybe there is some accountability after all :-)”
Then a good friend came back to me with this - “I think we need to have a post on integrity. Do not post anything here or elsewhere you would not want Jesus to see and point out to everyone.”
Do not post anything here or else where you would not want Jesus to See and point out to everyone – that’s the important thing isn’t it. We have to guard our own integrity, probably under the prompting of the Holy Spirit who will convict us when we step aside from what is good. Would everything that you put out on Facebook or Twitter stand the scrutiny of Jesus? Would He be pleased to pass it all on? I can only speak for myself in that, although I may try – I frequently fall short of the standard I know God requires of me.
Our integrity is all we have here. Nothing else matters. Reputation is nothing – popularity is even less. Even our faith means nothing without the integrity to go with it. The integrity we display anywhere in public - but especially in the Facebook and Twitter chat rooms – must also be a reflection of Jesus. Would He say that which we just said? Would He do that which we just did? As Leonard Ravenhill said, “Are the things you are living for worth Christ dying for?”
Our public utterances are our reflection of Christ – and sometimes, it has to be said, they are unflattering to Him. Should we not write as if Jesus Himself was standing looking over our shoulder and approving what we write. There are too many in this world who use unsanctified language, who take His name very much in vain or even as a cuss-word. We have to be better than that. Too many so-called Christians use unsanctified language; laugh at unsanctified humour; act in very un-Christ-like ways. If we are no different to the rest of the world, how can we possibly attract them to the church or to Jesus? If we are no different in our lives – if our integrity can be seen to be as bad as everyone else’s, then we have very little hope of redeeming others. We have, quite honestly, done the devils work for him.
Hey people - can we just try a little harder?
“Sometimes we express on Facebook that which we would not or could not express in our churches. There are reasons for this -
Firstly there is no real accountability here. We do not have to look someone in the eye as we speak out our comments.
Secondly we are bold because we are 'in secret' and some of us will not even reveal our names for fear of being 'caught out'.
Thirdly, we can express here the secret things God has laid on our hearts without fear of scorn or rebuke or laughter. BUT
Finally, God sees our every word - even those we delete and type again differently. Yours - mine - everybody's words. God sees everything and we will all have to answer one day for any loose words we have put out here - even if you are the only one who knows it was a cheap shot.
So maybe there is some accountability after all :-)”
Then a good friend came back to me with this - “I think we need to have a post on integrity. Do not post anything here or elsewhere you would not want Jesus to see and point out to everyone.”
Do not post anything here or else where you would not want Jesus to See and point out to everyone – that’s the important thing isn’t it. We have to guard our own integrity, probably under the prompting of the Holy Spirit who will convict us when we step aside from what is good. Would everything that you put out on Facebook or Twitter stand the scrutiny of Jesus? Would He be pleased to pass it all on? I can only speak for myself in that, although I may try – I frequently fall short of the standard I know God requires of me.
Our integrity is all we have here. Nothing else matters. Reputation is nothing – popularity is even less. Even our faith means nothing without the integrity to go with it. The integrity we display anywhere in public - but especially in the Facebook and Twitter chat rooms – must also be a reflection of Jesus. Would He say that which we just said? Would He do that which we just did? As Leonard Ravenhill said, “Are the things you are living for worth Christ dying for?”
Our public utterances are our reflection of Christ – and sometimes, it has to be said, they are unflattering to Him. Should we not write as if Jesus Himself was standing looking over our shoulder and approving what we write. There are too many in this world who use unsanctified language, who take His name very much in vain or even as a cuss-word. We have to be better than that. Too many so-called Christians use unsanctified language; laugh at unsanctified humour; act in very un-Christ-like ways. If we are no different to the rest of the world, how can we possibly attract them to the church or to Jesus? If we are no different in our lives – if our integrity can be seen to be as bad as everyone else’s, then we have very little hope of redeeming others. We have, quite honestly, done the devils work for him.
Hey people - can we just try a little harder?
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