There are a lot of people that probably hate this blog (of the very few who have read it) because of the consistent condemnation I preach against the churches and church-goers of American Christianity. There is a reason that I do this. I do not purposely plan to be negative, but I have a firm conviction that God has a specific function for me in the body of Christ. Romans 12:4-9 and 1Corinthians 12 outline that there are many members in the body of Christ, all having different gifts and different functions.
Do you suppose that perhaps there are some members of the body that function in a role that is mainly negative, and not positive? A bulldozer or wrecking ball on a construction site do not do much positive work. But they are helpful in tearing down that which is corrupt, so that those who build can create something beautiful and functional in its place. But they would not be able to build if the old, corrupt building is not torn down. I have an unction that perhaps I am a wrecking ball and bulldozer in the body of Christ.
There is a lot of corruption that needs torn down, and I am here to do it. Unfortunately, those who are in love with the older buildings (which have become corrupt) do not want such negative activity going on. They want to keep the building up, even if it is a safety hazard and people will die when the building eventually collapses on the people of God. To these people I say, you are not filled with love for your brethren, but hate. But these type of people think that people like me are divisive and want to cause disunity. Nothing could be further from the truth. You are not honoring God if you have unity in the name of unrighteousness.
There are probably very few people like myself in the church. And because of that, and because we are negative, we are generally despised by the church. Because of this, I can heavily relate to prophets like Jeremiah. Jeremiah was heavily persecuted by the "church" of his day, because he called them to repentance. He told them that God did not care about their sacrifices and offerings, and their holy days, and their worship; he wanted their obedience. He was not very popular though, as you can read in the scriptures. If you were to have interviewed the people of God in his day, they probably would have given the same testimony of Jeremiah as people give of the likes of myself. "He is too negative, and judgmental, and is sowing discord among the brethren!"
Anyhow, I had the privilege of bringing my family for supper at the Pastor's house this last Friday, and I brought many things to his attention. I mentioned that the church in general is apostate and needs to repent of it's love for the world and other various sins. It needs to repent of glorying in head knowledge rather than obedience. That God does not delight in their solemn assemblies, which the Pastor believes is the mark of righteousness (going to church). And we will just say he did not receive it too well. I am judgmental, and a Pharisee, according to him. Well, well, well. Of course. And it reminded me of these scriptures from Jeremiah 6:13-16:
"For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.
They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the Lord.
Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein."
There are so many rich passages in Jeremiah that are similar, and I will not quote them all here. But you can see a direct parallel between Israel in Jeremiah's day, and Israel (the church) in our day. The Pastor told me that the church is not apostate and that there were 30 good churches (really?) in the city I live in, alone! Say that again? I asked him if this were so, then why are our towns and cities so corrupt? Consistent with his corrupt Amillenialism, he claimed that cities and towns being corrupt had nothing to do with how righteous the church was. Amazing, I tell you!
Take a look at this awesome passage from Amos 5:21-27:
" I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.
Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.
Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.
But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?
But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.
Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the Lord, whose name is The God of hosts."
Translation to the church age: I do not care that you are delighting in going to church, singing songs, and preaching your sermons, and performing the sacraments. It means absolutely nothing to me and I hate it all, because you are living in sin and love the world.
I do not claim to be a prophet, in that I believe I can foretell the future, or proclaim with absolute authority the judgment of God on a people or nation. But I certainly believe that God has gifted me to speak against the sins of the church, and call the people to repentance. And I would not have it any other way, even if I am despised in the same way Jeremiah was.
To my own amusement, this article was supposed to be about one of the things I love about Anabaptists. But my introduction got carried away and became an entire article. Oh well, such is the nature of the blog, I guess. Perhaps I will create a new category on this blog called "Positive Posts", since they are so rare. Ha! A positive post is coming soon though! Be ready for it!
Swiss Kinist
Do you suppose that perhaps there are some members of the body that function in a role that is mainly negative, and not positive? A bulldozer or wrecking ball on a construction site do not do much positive work. But they are helpful in tearing down that which is corrupt, so that those who build can create something beautiful and functional in its place. But they would not be able to build if the old, corrupt building is not torn down. I have an unction that perhaps I am a wrecking ball and bulldozer in the body of Christ.
There is a lot of corruption that needs torn down, and I am here to do it. Unfortunately, those who are in love with the older buildings (which have become corrupt) do not want such negative activity going on. They want to keep the building up, even if it is a safety hazard and people will die when the building eventually collapses on the people of God. To these people I say, you are not filled with love for your brethren, but hate. But these type of people think that people like me are divisive and want to cause disunity. Nothing could be further from the truth. You are not honoring God if you have unity in the name of unrighteousness.
There are probably very few people like myself in the church. And because of that, and because we are negative, we are generally despised by the church. Because of this, I can heavily relate to prophets like Jeremiah. Jeremiah was heavily persecuted by the "church" of his day, because he called them to repentance. He told them that God did not care about their sacrifices and offerings, and their holy days, and their worship; he wanted their obedience. He was not very popular though, as you can read in the scriptures. If you were to have interviewed the people of God in his day, they probably would have given the same testimony of Jeremiah as people give of the likes of myself. "He is too negative, and judgmental, and is sowing discord among the brethren!"
Anyhow, I had the privilege of bringing my family for supper at the Pastor's house this last Friday, and I brought many things to his attention. I mentioned that the church in general is apostate and needs to repent of it's love for the world and other various sins. It needs to repent of glorying in head knowledge rather than obedience. That God does not delight in their solemn assemblies, which the Pastor believes is the mark of righteousness (going to church). And we will just say he did not receive it too well. I am judgmental, and a Pharisee, according to him. Well, well, well. Of course. And it reminded me of these scriptures from Jeremiah 6:13-16:
"For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.
They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the Lord.
Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein."
There are so many rich passages in Jeremiah that are similar, and I will not quote them all here. But you can see a direct parallel between Israel in Jeremiah's day, and Israel (the church) in our day. The Pastor told me that the church is not apostate and that there were 30 good churches (really?) in the city I live in, alone! Say that again? I asked him if this were so, then why are our towns and cities so corrupt? Consistent with his corrupt Amillenialism, he claimed that cities and towns being corrupt had nothing to do with how righteous the church was. Amazing, I tell you!
Take a look at this awesome passage from Amos 5:21-27:
" I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.
Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.
Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.
But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?
But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.
Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the Lord, whose name is The God of hosts."
Translation to the church age: I do not care that you are delighting in going to church, singing songs, and preaching your sermons, and performing the sacraments. It means absolutely nothing to me and I hate it all, because you are living in sin and love the world.
I do not claim to be a prophet, in that I believe I can foretell the future, or proclaim with absolute authority the judgment of God on a people or nation. But I certainly believe that God has gifted me to speak against the sins of the church, and call the people to repentance. And I would not have it any other way, even if I am despised in the same way Jeremiah was.
To my own amusement, this article was supposed to be about one of the things I love about Anabaptists. But my introduction got carried away and became an entire article. Oh well, such is the nature of the blog, I guess. Perhaps I will create a new category on this blog called "Positive Posts", since they are so rare. Ha! A positive post is coming soon though! Be ready for it!
Swiss Kinist
Amen.
ReplyDeleteI often think of Elijah and his despair, and the answer of the Lord, that there are 7000 left who have not bowed down to the idols. We are living in similar times, but with the internet, those 7000 (or however many are left scattered throughout the world) are able to have some sort of fellowship.
"he claimed that cities and towns being corrupt had nothing to do with how righteous the church was. Amazing, I tell you!"
It does constantly amaze me how conservative Christians can't see the connection, and can't understand that we will be entering an age of outright persecution if something isn't done very soon.