Persecution is a way of life for the Christian. Across the globe, Christians face oppression. Many are killed for their faith. This should not surprise us considering Christianity was started by a man who was persecuted and killed Himself. It's only natural that His followers would receive the same fate. Jesus Himself warned us that we would be persecuted for our faith. But it wasn't the "world" that Jesus warned us about. It was the religious people.
He told His disciples that their persecutors would "drag you into synagogues" not secular courts. Even at His own trial, the crowd yelling" Crucify Him!" was not nonbelievers, it was the Jews, the Sanhedrin. The religious establishment. When the apostles first started their ministry who were the main persecutors?
The religious establishment. Yes, the Romans stepped in, but only to keep the peace. They could care less about some new Jewish sect. It was the religious crowd in the book of Acts that persecuted the Christians. Today we know them as "the church crowd". The religious establishment.
A good litmus test to reveal who's in the church crowd is to start reaching out to the lost. Start bringing the "outsiders" in the sanctuary, and those who are part of the religious establishment will take their masks off. Jesus called it the "yeast of the Pharisees". Throughout history they have been the greatest persecutors of Christians. They persecuted the Apostolic Church who preached salvation to the Gentiles when others said only the Jews can be saved.
They persecuted the reformers who preached salvation by grace and not by woks in the 1500's. They persecuted the Pentecostals who preached the power of the Spirit not tradition and dogma in the 1900's. And now they are persecuting the church that is branching out of the systems and institutions of religion as a living breathing community of life change.
They tolerate single moms so long as they don't bring up the "single" part of their motherhood. They like young people, just don't ask provoking questions or color outside the lines. The occasional recovering addicts are motivational, just don't bring too many or you will scare away they big tithers. Prostitutes and strippers should be brought care packages and tracts not brought into "The House of God".
They love Gay people, just stop being gay... How about you stop being straight! Then there are the poor... They have their place, so long as they are not "repeat offenders" on the benevolence list and are actively enrolled in a Dave Ramsey class.
Now I know this is not a reflection of the whole Church. I will even agree that it may not even reflect the majority of the Church. It is a reflection of the establishment. That's why I put the word "church" in quotation marks in the title. God's true Church has always sought the lost. She has always been a reflection of mercy and grace. Let's be the remnant not the establishment.
Generally speaking, when women build, they form a structure based on relationships in which individuality is prime
ReplyDeleteGenerally speaking, when men build, they form a structure that is a machine - authority systems, unbreakable procedures
The Christian church was built by men and is largely run by men. It is a machine in which individuals are expected to subordinate themselves to the larger machine
Humans are now entering a 'female' era
The Christian church is completely out of step with it
That is why - in the UK certainly - it is dieing
It is important now to establish a commonly agreed set of spiritual principles, below which individuality can be allowed to flourish
Best wishes
Sweetgum