My last post might have caused many to think I was bashing all Christians in America, or something similar to how many other Nations might stereotype Americans as lazy or something like that (as many do, sadly).
However, the way I really see America (or perhaps only American Christians at times), is like Israel and the things they did and went through in their history. They were freed from oppression, set aside as special, given so much . . . and as time went on they basically constantly forsook God and turned to other gods.
However, just as there is in America, some Christians who are indeed true and on fire for God and very knowledgeable in the Word and truly seeking God's face, God said of Israel that even though the nation in general turned from Him so often, there was a "Remnant" that remained sure and set their eyes continually to God.
The same way, I don't want to make anyone believe that I think ALL American Christians are as I mentioned in my last post. No. There are some who are not, and who ARE strong and ARE growing and ARE on fire for God. However, generally speaking, overall Christians in America are Spiritually Unhealthy and on their deathbed, or are carnal babes unknowledgeable in the Word.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
American Christianity
Lately I've really been hurting for the Body of Christ here in America. I've been both angry at the willful ignorance of American Christians, as well as the amount of deception and apathy and lukewarmness that is present in America's Christian churches.
There's a ton of things I really need to say about it, and I will. However, not here, nor now. I need to pray for the right words to say and the organization to say it. I need to be led by the Spirit and not my own thoughts, in what words to say.
But I will say some things though . . . It honestly seems like Christians in America could be seen as weak children in comparison with how Christians should be. I'm speaking spiritually.
I see it too often that people praise the men and pastors and teachers who teach the Word of God, instead of praising the God who IS the Word! I hear it said way too often, people claiming to follow the teachings of "Pastor so and so" and "Brother so and so" and all that stuff. I hear things like "I love the way this pastor/brother teaches" and so forth. The focus has gotten SO MUCH on the people, instead of on the Truth of the Word of God!!
Now, I respect the pastor and I love him dearly. I'm loyal to stick by him and defend him as he teaches the Word of God. However, he is not my god. He is my brother. If he messes up, I'll let him know. He is not infallible or anything of the sort, nor does he claim to be! I remember actually, the first time I actually stepped out and talked to him on my own accord against the wishes of my family, it was because something he said was incorrect. However, I would die for him and will stick by his side. But you will not see me glorify him and deify him as you see others around america do to their favorite pastors and teachers. He is a teacher of the Word of God, and to lift him up higher than the Word of God that he teaches, would actually be doing him a disservice and doing him harm. It's the Word that is important!
That being said, I also see an incredible lack of spiritual strength and integrity and growth among Christians in America. The reason for this is because they are spiritually malnourished! They don't read and study the Word of God!! I see people claim they are good Christians and excellent Bible-believing Christians who are on fire for God . . . simply because they sometimes write down the scriptures that their favorite teacher gave during Sunday Morning service!
Now I'm not basing a Christian's walk on works of how much time they spend in the Word of God or how much they pray or anything like that. No. I'm basing it on the desires of their heart, and I'm basing their spiritual maturity on how much time they spend in the Word of God, and in Prayer, and in seeking the face of the Lord God Jehovah!
American Christians don't DESIRE with their hearts, the Word of God or Praying! They see reading a Chapter per week or month or year, and writing down scripture references given to them once or twice a week, as being not only sufficient for their spiritual life, but they see it as making them strong Christians! That's like saying "Yeah, I ate me a steak with a tall glass of milk this week. Yeah, I'm bodybuilder. You should see these cannons I got for my arms! I've never been in greater shape in my life!" My dear child, if you think eating merely a single steak dinner with a tall glass of milk as your only meal for the entire week makes you strong and healthy, then you've got a lot of learning to do! And no, I'm not judging your salvation or anything of the sort! I'm warning you of spiritual malnutrition!
American Christians just don't DESIRE God like they should! They wish to merely get by with the little bit of knowledge of Jesus and His saving grace, to get to heaven and that's it! But let me say this . . . if you make it into heaven going through your life satisfied with knowledge that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, and nothing else . . . consider yourself blessed! Because even the devil himself has that knowledge! Being saved has nothing to do with the simple knowledge that Jesus died on the cross and rose again, and everything to do with a conscious decision to CONFESS JESUS and FOLLOW JESUS! That little phrase "Gave my heart and life to Jesus" means just that! It doesn't mean "I know Jesus died," and I think it's because of that confusion that will cause a lot of people to believe they are saved when they are not! How horrible it will be to see their terror-stricken faces in the day of judgment!
Not only that, but if you truly do get saved, and you are satisfied with just being saved and not learning the word, you run the very high risk of being lead astray during your life and eventually walking completely away from God and losing that salvation altogether!
But seriously! American Christians have become so spiritually weak that they ARE easily lead astray! They believe a single steak meal once a week is going to make them spiritually healthy! Yeah that's fine and dandy for a BABY CHRISTIAN! It's fine and dandy for someone who is just starting their life with Christ Jesus, someone who just got saved. Afterall, they have to grow. They don't get saved and immediately memorize the entire Bible in one night's sitting!
However, when are you going to grow up? How long does it take a Christian to grow? No time at all, in a way. A christian is supposed to grow constantly, continually! However, you have 20-year old, 40-year old, 50+ year old Christians who are still sucking on a bottle of spiritual milk . . . and they don't even feed themselves, they want someone else to feed them! I honestly have to ask myself if these people really are saved. It is my understanding that when you get saved, you WANT to grow closer to God, you WANT to learn the Word of God, you WANT to change . . . because God changes you and takes you out of the world. You may not want it in your flesh, but you want it in your spirit, you KNOW you must do these things and you at the very least TRY to do these things. And as God sees you TRYING to do these things, HE is the one who makes it to happen. But Christians who seem to never grow because they honestly don't care much about seeking the things that will make them grow . . . you'd better check your salvation. When did you grow lukewarm or stagnant?
I always say, and believe, and see a Christian walk as this: It's an uphill walk up a somewhat slippery mountain. If ever you feel content to stop going upward and forward . . . you will indeed find yourself sliding downward and backward. Don't believe me? Well I'd say try it and see for yourself, but I'd rather not. Not to mention, many don't even realize their backsliding. So, instead, if you don't believe me . . . I'm sorry to hear that. Prove me wrong, though.
There's a ton of things I really need to say about it, and I will. However, not here, nor now. I need to pray for the right words to say and the organization to say it. I need to be led by the Spirit and not my own thoughts, in what words to say.
But I will say some things though . . . It honestly seems like Christians in America could be seen as weak children in comparison with how Christians should be. I'm speaking spiritually.
I see it too often that people praise the men and pastors and teachers who teach the Word of God, instead of praising the God who IS the Word! I hear it said way too often, people claiming to follow the teachings of "Pastor so and so" and "Brother so and so" and all that stuff. I hear things like "I love the way this pastor/brother teaches" and so forth. The focus has gotten SO MUCH on the people, instead of on the Truth of the Word of God!!
Now, I respect the pastor and I love him dearly. I'm loyal to stick by him and defend him as he teaches the Word of God. However, he is not my god. He is my brother. If he messes up, I'll let him know. He is not infallible or anything of the sort, nor does he claim to be! I remember actually, the first time I actually stepped out and talked to him on my own accord against the wishes of my family, it was because something he said was incorrect. However, I would die for him and will stick by his side. But you will not see me glorify him and deify him as you see others around america do to their favorite pastors and teachers. He is a teacher of the Word of God, and to lift him up higher than the Word of God that he teaches, would actually be doing him a disservice and doing him harm. It's the Word that is important!
That being said, I also see an incredible lack of spiritual strength and integrity and growth among Christians in America. The reason for this is because they are spiritually malnourished! They don't read and study the Word of God!! I see people claim they are good Christians and excellent Bible-believing Christians who are on fire for God . . . simply because they sometimes write down the scriptures that their favorite teacher gave during Sunday Morning service!
Now I'm not basing a Christian's walk on works of how much time they spend in the Word of God or how much they pray or anything like that. No. I'm basing it on the desires of their heart, and I'm basing their spiritual maturity on how much time they spend in the Word of God, and in Prayer, and in seeking the face of the Lord God Jehovah!
American Christians don't DESIRE with their hearts, the Word of God or Praying! They see reading a Chapter per week or month or year, and writing down scripture references given to them once or twice a week, as being not only sufficient for their spiritual life, but they see it as making them strong Christians! That's like saying "Yeah, I ate me a steak with a tall glass of milk this week. Yeah, I'm bodybuilder. You should see these cannons I got for my arms! I've never been in greater shape in my life!" My dear child, if you think eating merely a single steak dinner with a tall glass of milk as your only meal for the entire week makes you strong and healthy, then you've got a lot of learning to do! And no, I'm not judging your salvation or anything of the sort! I'm warning you of spiritual malnutrition!
American Christians just don't DESIRE God like they should! They wish to merely get by with the little bit of knowledge of Jesus and His saving grace, to get to heaven and that's it! But let me say this . . . if you make it into heaven going through your life satisfied with knowledge that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, and nothing else . . . consider yourself blessed! Because even the devil himself has that knowledge! Being saved has nothing to do with the simple knowledge that Jesus died on the cross and rose again, and everything to do with a conscious decision to CONFESS JESUS and FOLLOW JESUS! That little phrase "Gave my heart and life to Jesus" means just that! It doesn't mean "I know Jesus died," and I think it's because of that confusion that will cause a lot of people to believe they are saved when they are not! How horrible it will be to see their terror-stricken faces in the day of judgment!
Not only that, but if you truly do get saved, and you are satisfied with just being saved and not learning the word, you run the very high risk of being lead astray during your life and eventually walking completely away from God and losing that salvation altogether!
But seriously! American Christians have become so spiritually weak that they ARE easily lead astray! They believe a single steak meal once a week is going to make them spiritually healthy! Yeah that's fine and dandy for a BABY CHRISTIAN! It's fine and dandy for someone who is just starting their life with Christ Jesus, someone who just got saved. Afterall, they have to grow. They don't get saved and immediately memorize the entire Bible in one night's sitting!
However, when are you going to grow up? How long does it take a Christian to grow? No time at all, in a way. A christian is supposed to grow constantly, continually! However, you have 20-year old, 40-year old, 50+ year old Christians who are still sucking on a bottle of spiritual milk . . . and they don't even feed themselves, they want someone else to feed them! I honestly have to ask myself if these people really are saved. It is my understanding that when you get saved, you WANT to grow closer to God, you WANT to learn the Word of God, you WANT to change . . . because God changes you and takes you out of the world. You may not want it in your flesh, but you want it in your spirit, you KNOW you must do these things and you at the very least TRY to do these things. And as God sees you TRYING to do these things, HE is the one who makes it to happen. But Christians who seem to never grow because they honestly don't care much about seeking the things that will make them grow . . . you'd better check your salvation. When did you grow lukewarm or stagnant?
I always say, and believe, and see a Christian walk as this: It's an uphill walk up a somewhat slippery mountain. If ever you feel content to stop going upward and forward . . . you will indeed find yourself sliding downward and backward. Don't believe me? Well I'd say try it and see for yourself, but I'd rather not. Not to mention, many don't even realize their backsliding. So, instead, if you don't believe me . . . I'm sorry to hear that. Prove me wrong, though.
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