I recently heard a talk by Christine Cain where she made the statement, “Why do we need the devil when we’ve got Christians?” It is very sad how true this remark actually is. While we are encouraged in the Bible to be a unified body of believers (John 17:11, Ephesians 4:1-3), the reality is that we have become anything but that; the modern church is a fragmented body of denominations marked by warring factions of worship styles, missional focuses, and political agendas. We no longer rally around the commands of Jesus, but rather flock to like-minded individuals or comfortable surroundings.
the church
The Church in Sardis
I was studying the book of Revelation recently, and was reading the passage that contains the letter dictated to the church in Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6). As I read, I could not help but see the parallels between them and the current American church. I encourage you to take a moment to read the short passage above to provide context to this post.
Building the Church
I listen to a lot of sermons from various churches across the country. This helps me stay focused on the mission of Christ and at the same time receive input and encouragement from a variety of Godly people. Recently I was struck by two messages I heard back to back, as they were absolutely diametrically opposed. I will withhold the names of the pastor’s and churches as focusing on any single congregation would miss the point.
In the first sermon, I heard an impassioned plea for the people to give sacrificially so they could build a new children’s wing onto their church. In sharp contrast to this was the second sermon in which I heard the pastor contemplate putting a “for sale” sign outside of their church so they might give the money to the poor throughout the world. [Read more…] about Building the Church
Christianity and Warfare
With all the unrest in the Middle East and Africa these days, there is a lot of talk about “just wars’ and killing in the name of liberation and justice. I have long struggled with taking the life of someone else simply because of their political ideology. Now I am not naïve and understand that many people in these parts of the world are being oppressed and treated in inhumane ways. I don’t think anyone would disagree with the need to help them. My heart breaks when I read the stories of those who are brutally tortured and killed simply because they follow Jesus. I find it repulsive that any leader would abuse his power and live in luxury while his own people starve. I can’t, however, believe that killing the perceived enemy is the way Christ would approach the situation.
The horrific fact of the matter is that most of the people being killed in these parts of the world do not know Christ. When their lives are taken, any chance of coming to know the love and life offered by Jesus is taken from them as well. We wield the weapons that forever separate them from God. I am not a pacifist; I grew up in a military family and was brought up to believe that America is God’s chosen instrument to dole out justice in the world. As an adult I now struggle with that idea and with the dichotomy of war. Killing seems senseless and contrary to the teachings of Christ. Every day, more die and go to hell. I shudder at what is going on in the world as it seems to spiral ever downward and away from God.
If you’ve read this far hoping to find answers, I’m afraid you will be disappointed; I don’t have any. It seems wrong to sit back and ignore the injustice, while at the same time it seems even more wrong to eliminate the chance for someone to come to Christ before they die. Surely there must be an alternate solution. Perhaps if the Church (and that includes both you and me) were truly doing what we have been called to do, then maybe we wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place. We are called to love our neighbor, but we are more prone to suspicion and jealousy. We are told to care for the poor, but our actions reveal that we keep far more for ourselves than we share. Individually we are too selfish, and collectively we have isolated ourselves from the world around us. Since the walls of our buildings were not designed to keep the members in, does it not follow that they were created to keep others out?
Wherever Jesus went, people were drawn to Him. They wanted to hear what He had to say, and be wherever he was going. What sort of following are we drawing? War did not spring up around Jesus and His disciples. In fact when those who did not believe in Jesus put Him to death, His followers did not rebel in violence. Instead they continued serving those around them which resulted in more and more coming to know the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. When His followers were themselves being put to death, they still did not respond in violence but instead were emboldened to take His message throughout the world.
Are we in the modern Church living worthy of our commission? We are called to demonstrate the love and peace of Jesus to all people, regardless of nationality or origin. It is tempting to get caught up within patriotism and to identify oneself with their country. Remember that we are a new creation, and as followers of Jesus, we now identify with Him alone. We have no weapons save for the love of God. It’s about time we started wielding that weapon in the world in which we live. We all are called to love our neighbors as ourselves. Let’s start the healing process one person at a time, and let’s fan that flame throughout the world. True peace is never established by the sword; it comes only through the cross.
Unity Amidst Persecution
I recently saw video of Christians in India being beaten because of their faith in Jesus Christ. With fists and sticks they were pummeled simply because they refused to deny their Savior. The buildings in which they were meeting were set on fire even as the believers were still inside. A couple of days later I received a magazine with a girl on the cover whose face had been badly disfigured when someone threw acid on her; the reason for such a heinous crime? She was a Christian. All over the world, every hour of every day, our brothers and sisters in Christ are harassed and tortured. I think that the word “persecution” has lost much of its sting as we have numbed ourselves to the atrocities occurring around our planet. These are real people, just like you and me, subjected to real torture. As I write this, I continue to debate how far I should go in describing the horrors these brave and courageous saints are experiencing. I want to be sensitive to the varied ages of those who read this blog, while at the same time not shy away from the gravity and urgency of the situation.
In a large number of countries in our world, converting to Christianity is illegal. Christians are not allowed to gather together and must meet in secret. Most of us have never experienced anything like this in our entire lives. We read the stories and are scarcely moved. The depth of our faith is of pitiful size when compared to that of these believers. Many travel long hours at night just to reach a place where they can talk with other Christians under cover of darkness. If they are caught, they will be arrested, beaten, tortured and often killed. The brutality of their attackers is unimaginable to many of us. Yet our brave brothers and sisters consider the risk acceptable for the sake of honoring their savior. They do not shy away from the pain, but rather embrace the suffering, knowing that they endure it all for the sake of Jesus. Their lives are lived within the tension of telling others about Christ and wondering if today will be the day they are killed for that same witness.
In contrast, Christians in America and throughout the West live lives of relative comfort and ease. We don’t worry about a knock on the door or being attacked on the street simply because of our faith. We are free to worship in any manner we choose. Every weekend we drive to our places of worship and gather with other Christians without fear of reprisal. Occasionally we’ll hear mention from the pulpit of those Christians in other nations who live in constant peril, and we might even take up an offering and offer a prayer for them; but there is little connection between our lives and theirs. Our biggest problems tend to be if we have enough Sunday school space for a certain age group; this becomes such a devastating issue that we determine the need to spend millions of dollars to rectify the problem. Meanwhile the Church outside, the bride of Christ, is huddling in dark forests to avoid detection; they seem not to be bothered by their lack of facilities. While we vacillate over proper parking and Christmas decorations, the Bride outside is being mutilated and slaughtered. We are blind to the plight of God’s chosen people and we are numb to their needs. We are so concerned and obsessed with our own growth that we neglect the things that are of true value to God. How can we sit idly by and let this happen?
Who will stand in the gap and cry out to God in a loud voice? Who will stand in the face of oppression and declare the justice of the Lord? If not His people, His Church, then who? We are admonished in Scripture to come together in unity as one people (Ephesians 4:1-6), but we have set a dividing line between “us and them”. We who are blessed with so much are blessed so that we might serve those who have so little. We have taken the gifts of the Master and buried them in our own land so as not to lose what we have, rather than taking those gifts and investing them in the lives of those in need. What must God think as He looks down on our lavish buildings and busywork programs and then looks out at those who are starving, beaten and killed even as they gather under a single tree for the sole purpose of worshipping Him? We are responsible for the condition of the Church, and that goes far beyond any walls we might construct. The unity of the Church must be achieved so as to prepare the Bride for Christ. Refuse to sit back any longer; engage your pastors and everyone you know. Implore them to lead in a way consistent with the Gospel and to serve the needs of the entire Church rather than just their congregation. It is time for each of us to mobilize and become the hands and feet of Jesus. Pray for our brothers and sisters who are in chains and torment for the sake of the Gospel. Give all you can to relieve their pain. Stand up and be heard, be a voice for those who cannot speak. Write to your newspapers and your congressmen. God is a God of justice and we are His people. Work for justice and do not rest. Repent with me over what we have allowed to happen on our watch. Linger here no longer, but rather in the name and power of Christ, go out into the world proclaiming His truth and His salvation. Stand in the way of ruthless men and break the chains of injustice. This is our calling and mission as followers of Christ. Stand in unity with your brothers and sisters and prepare the way of the Lord.