Christianity not Churchianity
These days it seems that men who become pastors and those who are appointed as elders are more interested in being recognized by men and building 4 million dollar buildings than being a servant to all. They introduce themselves with titles and look to be "respected" by men. We are to humble ourselves or we will be humbled (Luke 14:11 For whoever exalts himself shall be abased, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted). God will worry about elevating us if He sees that we are worthy of it. We must seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. We must be holy even as our Father in heaven is holy. It should be our sincere desire and goal to press in and press on in the Lord, to grow daily, and to eat the meat of the word. I see so much denominationalism and hear so many "church building" strategies. Pastors rallying attendees to build their congregations, Churches not sharing buildings, wasting millions in utility bills, let alone building costs of unnecessary extra buildings that lie empty and locked 80% of the time or more.
And by the way, where is the service to the poor (Galatians 2:10 Only they asked that we remember the poor, which very thing I was eager to do) and ministry to widows and orphans (James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit orphans and widows in their afflictions, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world) and the broken hearted (Luke 4:18-19 "The Spirit of the Lord is on Me; because of this He has anointed Me to proclaim the Gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim deliverance to the captives, and new sight to the blind, to set at liberty those having been crushed, (19) to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.")?
In the ministry I am in, the Lord has had me visit many churches and the consistent trend is that churches are almost exclusively social clubs for those that call themselves Christians; whether or not they are Christians is another question. There is nothing wrong with getting together and fellowshipping, even on a regular basis, but why not fellowship while acting in the service of others? Why not serve those in need and at the same time share the truth of the good news, that we have all sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God, but that Christ paid the price for those sins on the cross in order that we would not have to. Yes we all deserve hell, and no, none of us will ever earn salvation, but the shed blood of Jesus bridged the great divide between our "filthy rags" righteousness and His holiness.
Paul said it clearly, 1 Corinthians 1:10-15 "But I exhort you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you; but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. (11) For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brothers, by those of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. (12) But I say this, that every one of you says, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ. (13) Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you, or were you baptized in the name of Paul? (14) I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, (15) lest any should say that I had baptized in my own name."
We must stop the madness. The self righteous elevation of self. We are to consider one another better than ourselves, as Paul writes Philippians 2:1-3 "If there is therefore any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tendernesses and mercies, (2) then fulfill my joy, that you may be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord and of one mind. (3) Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves."
If you consider yourself a Christian, please for the love of God and the sake of the kingdom, act like it.
