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[Jun. 14th, 2010|01:59 am] |
i've been wanting to post some or say something about this topic for a long time.
about something that really grinds my gears.
what's that topic you ask?
churches vs. churches.
the idea that one group of people think their church is better than the other.
the idea that a CHRISTIAN will call out their brother or sisters own church, saying their church isn't, " good enough ", is too flashy ", or , "is a cult".
my response?
i watched an online service from my church tonight..
during this particular service they talked about the things our church has done through the money our church body had donated through offerings over the last few years since the church was started in May 1999.
as i was watching my heart was instantly filled with joy and tears fell from my eyes.
i was amazed at all the things Jesus has done through my church and through the people who attend it.
here's just the skinny of it all...
from the shoes and coats that have been given and donated at various services-the love given and shown to mistreated women in central Kentucky-to the help given to the Hope Center and the idea of redemption and purity that was shown to the people-to the 156 people who gave their lives at the new Frankfort campus-the 2,000 Hindu-Indians who had never heard of Jesus and His love that now know all about His love, grace, and forgiveness due to missionaries being sent out-to the help with the rebuilding of Haiti, Atlanta, Tennessee, and even my home state of Kentucky after devastating flooding-the 900 pastors, leaders, and even some Fused students who attended the Uprising at my church that taught us all about the importance of growing and teaching the gospel to broken and lost people and bringing them to know Jesus- to the service on Friday nights at my church 350 or so people attend called The Mat that helps people find hope and healing in Jesus-through my church, the people, and the offerings given, people from India, Africa, Frankfort, and Lexington 9,735 people have given their lives to Christ and received Him fully into their hearts.
let me say that again, NINE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED THIRTY FIVE PEOPLE have given their lives to Jesus Christ in TWO years around the GLOBE.
now let me go back to the beginning.
people are saying my church is a cult, is a rock-concert, is too flashy, too loud, is too weird.
in the end does that REALLY matter?
does it really matter what the church looks like and where it's located?
does it matter how the preacher preaches and what he preaches about?
does it matter how many people attend?
does it matter if the music is different?
does any of it matter in the end?
NO!!
ALL churches, big, small, new, old, contemporary, and non-contemporary, baptist, pentecostal, nondenominational, methodist, presbyterian, and all the other types of churches out there have ONE calling in this life ONE calling as a church body and that is to show love to the ones who need love and to bring people to forgiveness, redemption, and plans that Jesus Christ has for our lives!
i'm tired of people church hating on one another- why do we have to live in a divided religion community? why can we not bond together to show the love of Jesus? why does it have to be every church for themselves?
my church is NOT perfect by ANY means.
EVERY.SINGLE.CHURCH.HAS.ITS.FLAWS!
it's unavoidable!
there is NO such thing as a, "perfect" church.
we are called to be the bride of Christ and show the love that Jesus has for others like He has for us.
we can't do our calling if we are busy tearing down other churches and our brothers and sisters IN CHRIST who attend them.
if you call yourself a Christian yet you hate on your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and a church that is bringing lost people to Jesus Christ, that doesn't make sense to call yourself a Christian then does it?
i'm not perfect.
i'm frustrated.
this was my rant.
and now i'm done.
take it as what you will.
stay true-
amy elizabeth. |
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