Do We Need To Suffer More in America As Christians?

You know that is a very tough question. Here is an even tougher statement: I believe that we need more persecution as believers in America!!! WOW, why would I say such a statement? There is such an attitude of complacency in the American church today that it is NOT funny. We treat & are more committed to our secular jobs than we are the church. Some of the reasons & excuses that we use to 'miss church' or keep us out of church WOULD NEVER fly if used in our jobs. We would get fired or lose our jobs quickly. Why then do we do that? BECUASE WE ARE COMFORTABLE & HAVE MADE IT TOO EASY. We say things like, "oh, I can miss a couple of weeks of church, or Bible study & it won't hurt me at all". Now, don't misunderstand...I'm not talking about legitamate reasons for missing... but I have noticed complaceny everywhere...even reading about how a HUGE church in Phoenix, AZ let their pastor go bc/ he didn't preach a soft enough message.
The consumerists mentality has permeated the Christian believer in America. There is a lot of "pick & chose" when it comes to church, Bible study, worship style, etc. "what can I get out of this" is an attitude that just doesn't fly. We should say, "God what are speaking to me & how can I grow in You".
When you look at the growth of believers in foreign countries & you look at the state of teh American church...you see a HUGE difference. Why is the International church growing more rapidly than the American church? I think that it bc/ they face persecution, suffering, ridicule a lot. You face disappearing forever in China if you are found to have a Bible. Just read any magazine from the Voice of the Martyrs Ministry. When you look at the early church, they faced persecution DAILY yet, it also says that they met in each other's house DAILY...they shold their posessions to help out each other & the poor....and God added to their numbers!!! Today, we have believer's in America who come to church for 2 hours, leave & have NO CONNECTION with the Body of believers at all all week, & then come back the next Sun for 2 hours & they think that is ALL that they need. NO, it's not. Wow, I bet if you went to a country that it was illegal to be a Christian & they were holding a meeting...THEY WOULD BE THERE.
Jesus said He woundered if He would find faith when He comes back in Luke 18:8....wow, I really wonder sometimes how many 'believers' would stand & worship if a serious wave of persecution came to America... how many would 'fall away' because it's not comfortable anymore.
Nobody wants persecution....not at all, & I LOVE OUR FREEDOM...but I do think we have gotten too comfortable in the American church. GOD CHANGE OUR HEARTS!!!

PG

"I'm Offended"

There is something that has been on my mind this week & I spoke about a portion of it this past Sunday in my message. I feel that a culture of "offense" between each other has been created for quite a long time in the 'modern' church. You can go to many churches in America & find believers who have been "offended" by someone, or something, or a group of people within the church, and as I mentioned Sunday there will be people who hold grudges for 5 years, or 20 years..... they will stop attending a certain church because of "offense".... they will wound a brother or sister in Christ by their words or actions instead of taking that matter to the brother or sister... 'they just get offended'

...all kinds of crazy and silly actions.

DOES A CHRISTIAN BELIEVER HAVE A RIGHT TO BE OFFENDED by another believer?

DOES A CHRISTIAN BELIEVER HAVE A RIGHT TO HOLD OFFENSE over another believer?

..quite frankly, Biblically....no. A Christian believer does not have the right to be offended & hold offense.

"What?? no... but Greg you don't know what they did....you didn't hear what they said...you didn't see how they left me out"

--why would I say that above... how come we can't hold offense??

...look how Jesus answered Peter in Matthew 18:21-22:
21 Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"
22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

Matt 18:21-22 (NKJV)

--PETER THOUGHT THAT HE WAS BEING VERY, VERY GENEROUS BC/ THE RABBIS TAUGHT THAT YOU ONLY HAD TO FORGIVE A PERSON 2 OR 3 TIMES.

--Peter thought that he was the man.... "I'll forgive them 7 times......that seems overly generous"

--Jesus said, "no Peter...you've got to go way above that... how about 490 times!!!"

--we gave up our right to hold offense when we gave our lives to Jesus & He calls us to forgive

--GUYS, holding offense & being 'offended' is a SELF-CENTERED response that shows P-R-I-D-E because the focus is TOTALLY internal....it's not on the brother or sister... I don't care what they did or didn't do.... you are called to forgive them

--it's pride whenever you say "I'M OFFENDED".. notice who is offended? "I'm".. there is a big letter 'I' there.

--we are human, & WE WILL get offended.....for sure... so what are we to do?

....FORGIVE THEM IMMEDIATELY

...GO TO THAT BROTHER OR SISTER IMMEDIATELY & GET IT TAKEN CARE OF if you need to

--don't run to your spouse, don't run to another group in the church, don't tear down with your words (we will ALL give an account for what we have spoken -- Hebrews 4:13, Romans 14:12-13)

....when we get offended we are NOT forgiving... & the Word is VERY, VERY clear on not forgiving...just read a parable that Jesus told Peter & the Disciples immediately after Peter's question in Matthew 18:23-35

'there was a king who forgave one of his subjects from $$'s owed, & then this subject went out from the king & saw a guy who owed him less than what he owed the king, yet HE WOULD NOT FORGIVE HIM"... not good!!!

--when you tell someone else... "they really offended me" .. you haven't forgiven them... that's not a forgiving attittude

--gang, if God can forgive our sin, self-righteousness, & imperfections, WE HAVE TO FORGIVE EACH OTHER.

--that is why there are many churches divided, not powerful in the Lord, & not effective... because they have let the enemy come in & USE each other to divide. GOD CANNOT STAND DIVISION IN THE CHURCH.

--we are called to encourage each other...

19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another Romans 14:19 (NKJV)

11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing. 1 Thess 5:11 (NKJV)

--I see no place of offense in these Scriptures....

--there really is NO place in the believer's life or in the church for us to BE OFFENDED at each other for when we do & allow this we are totally showing UNFORGIVENESS.

--now I know that this is kind-of 'counter-cultural' especially in the church.... but it's the Word!!!

there is no place for this kind of attitude in the church...it's childish junk!!!
The enemy can use it to bring division, but GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN US, than he that is in the world.(1 John 4:4)

PG