Introduction
I love modern Christians, but I don’t much like them. Here’s why;
Have you ever noticed the way non-Christians are far more giving of themselves – their time, money and effort than Christians? I will go as far as to say it’s a universal fact of life. Why is this I have wondered for years, knowing this mainly by observing my own selfishness and often unwillingness to give more than my prayers to people that really need my time.
I have come to the conclusion that it is; “I’m all right Jack” syndrome, or something very similar! Let’s not forget how the disciples all bottled it at the last minute and this is recorded faithfully for us in The Bible to ponder. Here are some thoughts that came to mind this morning. Do they upset you? Good, they do me, and I will make it my business to read this every so often as it applies to me. As we know it takes one to know one!
Today’s Christian
The new breed of Christian will invite you with a big smile to their church meeting. But you’ll be lucky if they offer to pick you up… that might mean they have to do it every week.
The new breed of Christian will offer you their prayers, but not their time, money or anything that requires any real sacrifice. To them that would be ‘works’ and “we are not saved by works.” This is despite the fact the Bible commands men to do good works before men so that they might see your deeds and believe and despite the fact that Jesus’ greatest achievement was a great work – of time, toil, giving up of earthly comforts and ultimately his bodily sacrifice. And despite also the fact that Jesus divides the sheep and the goats, calling as those who did not feed him or give him a drink (referring to helping people practically as being equal to helping him) his enemies.
The new breed of Christian goes to church for himself, not for the sake of others.
The new breed of Christian will spend hours talking to you about how you can help them, but it’s unlikely they’ll offer to help you with something practical that you need. After all it’s your soul that’s important not your physical needs.
The new breed of Christians seeks to make merchandise of men – just as the Bible says – rather than giving of their time, money and efforts freely.
The new breed of Christian seeks to shoe-horn the Bible’s teachings to fit their lifestyle – rather than shoe-horn their lifestyle to fit the Bible.
Evil in the Last Days; This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. King James Bible |
The new breed of Christian cannot live with other Christians that have a different understanding of The Bible – or they believe any understanding is OK as long as you ‘love’ people neither or which extremes are biblical. Instead, having got all their doctrines in neat little boxes so they can relax, they set about converting all other Christians they know to believe all the things they believe, lest they feel uncomfortable (misery loves company and always tries to drag others down with it), when what they should be doing is agreeing to differ, sitting down with their brother or sister and studying the word and asking God to bring the understanding as the Bible says; “no man is in need of a teacher: and “The Holy Spirit can teach you all things. Of course this does not mean good, honest teachers cannot accelerate your learning.
The new breed of Christian believes they will escape persecution when most of the worlds Christians are already being persecuted in one way or another and virtually all Christian throughout history have suffered terrible persecution. This is because they have not loved truth, and so God as he promised sent them strong delusion. Beware; love the truth and God will reveal what the truth is! But love untruth (or don’t seek truth – same thing in God’s book – treasure is always hidden remember) and God will send you more untruth! This is not wicked – it’s justice!
The new breed of Christians does not realise that once upon a time men were not permitted in England to read the Bible, and those that possessed one or were found to be studying one were often burned at the stake. Yet they would rather read books by men than a book written, compiled and edited under the guidance of God’s Holy Spirit.
The new breed of Christian does not realise that the Bible says we all see in part through a glass darkly. This is why the scriptures must not be open to be interpreted by one man.
The new breed of Christians are just like the old – obsessed with ‘isms’ of men and putting things in boxes – when God tells us clearly in the Bible he cannot be boxed in and not to get entangled in the teachings and traditions and doctrines of (confused) men – who “are more stupid than birds.”
The new breed of Christian goes to church for an emotional ‘experience’ and not to learn about the good and beautiful ways of God. Oh bring back cold pews (did you know that is why we used to have pews in churches – to stop church becoming comfortable and make it uncomfortable and force us lazy Christians to interact and sit side by side with our brothers and sisters we would rather sit apart from. You think men didn’t know how to make separate chairs then?). Always ask why the fence was put there before removing it.
The new breed of Christian does not realise that Christians never gathered for ‘worship’ (songs) every Sunday as we do, but gathered to be with each other (often on Sundays but on other days they were able) and praise, sometimes singe and learn about God at random times. In the early days of church there was only one place of worship, and later when there were more, if there was no church near you – you didn’t go to church – but we were still encouraged not to forsake the assembling of yourselves – i.e gathering. Church as we know it is not wrong – but don’t think it’s based on what the Bible tells us church is and isn’t. Go to support your local church but also learn about the history of ‘church’ (the later church Jesus said was to be built without human hands) and you’ll be surprised.
The new breed of Christian will tell you that all religions worship the same God despite the fact that Jesus said explicitly that only HE was the way truth and life.
The new breed of Christian will read every book known to man and written by men in order gain spiritual wisdom and understanding.
The new breed of Christian is so busy with church activities and programs they will never call you to see how you are just out of courtesy in case you ask them to do something practical for you and mess up their timetable
The new breed of Christian will never buy you something unless they have the idea that you will buy them something back.
The new breed of Christian, because they must stop ‘wolves’ getting in disrupt their large financial corporation will ask you to serve only in the ways that they want you to, that further their church organisation and purposes. They are not content to let the Holy Spirit lead and let you minister on a one-to-one basis.
The new breed of Christian is more interested more in being at the top and seen ‘at the front’ than leading from the back (or bottom to be more precise) as Christ did.
The new breed of Christian is so hardened by the world they can no longer distinguish between Holy music and worldly music. If it sounds and more importantly feels good, it must be good, not remembering that heroin feels good too. They cannot tell (a musician will keep this little secret to themselves) that ‘rock’ music is born out of rebellion and they forget that Lucifer, the angel that is known for disguising himself as an angel of light, was the greatest musician ever and used this musical gift to drag 1/3 of heaven to and 100’s of thousands of Christian away from God. They no not understand that music is Satan’s MOST powerful weapon to bypass all the logical and sensible regions of the brain and make it fertile to plant any doctrine or practice he wants and make it appear good. God warned us that all things are permissible but not all things are beneficial.
The new breed of Christian believes that wealth is related to how much time, money and effort you give to the church they attend, not remembering that Jesus said that his church was not built with human hands and that the people are the stones and He is the cornerstone (not the capstone as the NIV says).
The new breed of Christian will encourage you to read every other Bible version than the King James version, because they are “much easier to read and contain lots of helpful notes and insights that the King James does not. In any case, the King James is written in old language.” Never mind that the King James version was left in old English for a reason (people did not use thees and thous at any more by this time) and it was translated in the manner than God prescribed in His word, by many men crucially with differing view points, all made accountable to each other so that none could get away with adding their own interpretation on it lest they be seen by all to do so (let the Bible be of no interpretation by one man). Let alone the fact that the King James Bible was of the very few Bible translations that has not been commissioned and translated purely for profit and translated by small groups on a payroll (did you realise that in order to print ‘the Bible’ the text requires a unique copyright – which means that the translator has no other option but to choose words other than the ones in existing Bibles! Think about this. This is why so many Bibles contain bizzar words when they could use plain english as the King James does (do not confuse ‘thees’ and ‘thous’ as not being plain english. These words were left in as it gives the reader the EXACT context of what is being said – i’e wether the words are being spoken to one person or a group of people which is crucial to correct understanding of scripture).
The new breed of Christian does not believe or understand how the scriptures could be divinely inspired as they imagine this is a kind of angel appeared and spoke so and so when this is not how it happened. The divine inspiration comes in the many men writing down honestly what they saw and believe to be true through history. The divine inspiration comes when many men from different times, places and parts of history all concur having no knowledge of each other. The Holy Spirit is then then the great holy and divine editor, guiding men which texts are true, which parts are not true and not edifying to man and which come from the minds of men who have their own agendas – just like Solomon’s writings are sometimes accused of not being divinely inspired because he sometimes collected and collated truths for us (guided by the Spirit) written down originally by other writers.
But then the church is a hospital for the broken (not just broken hearted) and not for those that are not in need of a physician.
I love God, Christ, The Bible. art, painting, playing music, improvising music, guitar (first instrument), drumming (not very good at it:), and anything musical or art related. Quick note – my articles are usually spun off in minutes so forgive any errors – hopefully you get the essence of the article and I’ll pick up mistakes later. If you want to write of 101ChristianMagazine and inspire and edify Christians with articles on faith, general news, hobbies or anything that interests you email me at: epgb101@gmail.com:)
