Not everyone in the churches of Christ are “ungodly”

English: A of . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Last Thursday up tot the end of the weekend it was time again for the many communion feasts and Spring feasts in Belgium.
The Catholic churches have to face a lessening in communion feasts. The second communion is mostly placed aside to celebrate with the humanists and atheists their Spring feast.

It is the sign that more and more people are leaving church. They complain about the several acts of church people which are not acceptable by ethic and normal people. The population has encountered to many cases of paedophile clergy, which has made them lose interest in those who should preach the faith in sacred love and love for God.

Lots of people spit on the church, but they do forget that there are many more churches than the Catholic Church. They also seem to forget that not all the priests and bishops in that Catholic church are such pervert beings. Strange also when they would really believe in God, that they do not seek for other solutions, other churches, other people of God.

Would we all "have to blame Jesus Christ for Judas Iscariot?" asks also John T. Polk II.
His answers is:

No, because “Satan entered Judas” (Luke 22:3). {5-8-2015 Why Reject Jesus’ Church?}

He still considers his church as the church of Christ, the body of Jesus Christ today (Colossians 1:24), and wonders why to blame the churches of Christ for the “ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:4 NKJV)? 
But should the church not be an example for the gentiles? Should those who are in charge of the church live according to what they preach and according to what they demand from their flock?

He is right in saying:

It seems people want to dismiss the churches of Christ by emphasizing the hypocritical few.

We also may not reject Jesus because of Judas, and should not reject the church of Christ because some have failed to be faithful.

Paul wrote “To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse” (Colossians 1:2).

Everyone in the churches of Christ are not “ungodly,” anymore than all Apostles are betrayers of Jesus Christ!

John T. Polk II writes

People should come to see that there are many more churches than the Roman Catholic church or any other church where they bow in front of crucifixes, graven images and paintings, contrary to the demands of the Most High God.

It’s useful to realize that we are two years away from marking the 500th Anniversary of the “symbolic” beginning of the Protestant Reformation, noted to have begun on October 31, 1517 by Martin Luther.

Peter Traben Haas  writes:

Of course, like all movements, it is impossible to peg a precise date, since often such movements emerge from within a multi-dimensional environment with diverse social factors and influences. But, for all practical purposes, Luther’s posting of the 95 Thesis is as good a moment as any to mark the Reformation’s beginning. {2020 Vision & Formation 2017}

Throughout the ages many changes took place. We even can notice when there where efforts to come back to the Word of God, the Scriptures Alone, and getting away from the idolatry, the bowing down in front of pictures, we can see in those renewal movements a shift took place after a few years and as such in many protestant churches we can find today also again a lot of pictures or Christ and of God and even of different saints.

Peter Traben Haas does think that

2015 is a good time to begin thinking about how Christianity has changed since then, and how Christianity is currently evolving, and more importantly, what might be the next phase of spiritual evolution Christianity is moving into. Everything is growing, including the sphere of consciousness in which Christianity “lives, moves and has its being,” and we would want to grow with it. Most of us are, which is probably one reason why you are reading this.{2020 Vision & Formation 2017}

For sure anno 2015 lots of 'church people' do not take much time to read the bible or to spend time with or to pray to the Most High God.

the contemplative dimension of Christianity is a niche “market,” primarily visible in monastic communities and other like-minded teachers, groups and organizations, such as Richard Rohr or Contemplative Outreach. For the majority of Christian’s, though, “contemplative” is a “boutique” way of being and doing Christian life, totally appropriate for retreats and monasteries, but not yet ready for the mainstream, so the thinking goes. But such ignoring and resistance is about to shift into attention and acceptance. {2020 Vision & Formation 2017}

writes Peter Traben, who would like to see a

Sola Silence. Sola Solitude. Sola Stillness,  Simplicity and Service.

But God perhaps does not want such a silence. God and His son want us to go out in the world proclaiming the Good News. Coming closer to the end times we should shout even more clearly and pronounce to the world the necessity to come closer to God and to worship the Divine Creator, thanking Him for His son who has brought salvation to the world.

Those who love God should let others know that they love the heavenly Father and that they would like to see that more people would come to love this Only One God. It is our task to let the world that not all people are ungodly or are people who love to tell lies or do not mind telling lies. The world has to know that there are still many people who prefer not to tell lies and to worship that One God Who did not tell lies.

That God said about the man in the river Jordan that he was His begotten beloved son. His words we should accept and spread throughout the world, so that all people can come to know Jesus Christ, our saviour, the Messiah.

We also should invite those around us to come to visit us at our meetings, our church, which is the Body of Christ. In-there we should show them what the real  love of Christ is and how we want to share that agapé love with each other. To the world we should prove that there are other churches, who have people who really want to live according to the Laws of Christ and to the Laws of God.

It is up to you, believer, to show the world not all in the Church of God are ungodly.

°°°

If you are looking for a church with men and women who want to be 'set apart' as godly people, please contact the Christadelphians.

Find the Christadelphian Church in Belgium: Ecclesia Brussel Leuven

+++

Related articles

• French Protestant church allows gay marriage blessing
• Don't Blame the Reformation
• Unaffiliated Americans Outrank Catholics, Study Says
• How the religious makeup of the U.S. has changed | Deseret News National
• Towards Genuine Interfaith Dialogue
• 4 Nuns, Including 2 Palestinians, Become Roman Catholic Saints
• French Protestant Church Votes to Allow Homosexual Marriage Blessing
• French Protestant church allows gay marriage blessing
• French Protestant church allows gay marriage blessing
• TRANSLATING ISLAM: Islam's 'Reformation' Is Already Here - and It's Called 'ISIS' By RAYMOND IBRAHIM

Be still and listen

"The word listen contains the same letters
as the word silent."
- Alfred Brendel

Be still, and in the quiet moments,
listen to the voice of your heavenly Father.
His words can renew your spirit.
No one knows you and your needs like He does.
- Janet L. Weaver

"Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the LORD."
Psalm 27:14

God, my Father, teach me to listen in silence.
Give that I let others pronounce,
and that I know to turn around my tongue a few times
before my response.
Give also that in the moments of silence
I always know how to find You
and let me hear Your Voice and understand it.

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Wees stil en luister

+++
2016 May 26 update 

Related articles

• Is it Time to Take Action?
• God Responds to Evil, Initiates Love
• "God's Date Match" Calls Year of Over 1 Million Trial...
• Your Word for This Day: "Dead in Sin, Alive in Christ"
• Love never fails
• Bound For Freedom (preparing for mgpc 22/5/2016)
• Listen
• The church can feed you spiritually but are you also doing enough to feed yourself?
• Jovanni J.M. DiMaggio
• Questions, Questions

A Living Faith #7 Prayer

A LIVING FAITH IN ACTION

Preceding

A Living Faith #1 Substance of things hoped for
A living faith #2 State of your faith
A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
A Living Faith #4 Effort
A Living Faith #5 Perseverance
A Living Faith #6 Sacrifice

Prayer

Reconciliation with the Lord our God is the immense privilege that has been extended to all those who know His Word. Over the millennia He has called many to be His sons and daughters, yet being adopted into the divine family brings responsibilities. For those who do respond to that gracious calling, a way has been opened through the Lord Jesus that faith can find expression through prayer. Just think for one moment of how incredible that invitation to commune with our Creator is!  Indeed it could be said that prayer is the life blood of a living faith. Yet approaching Yahweh in prayer is not something to be taken lightly, but rather something that commands our utmost respect and reverence. The wise man wrote:

“Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil. Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few.” Eccles 5:1-2

How often maybe in our daily conversations is it a case of open mouth and engage brain afterwards! Words often flow forth without much thought given as to the value of the message spoken.

This should never be the case in our prayers. Yahweh dwells in heaven and we are creatures of the dust upon the earth, therefore let words be few and to the point. To quote a well known phrase, ‘say whet you mean and mean what you say!’ Recognition of the immense greatness of Yahweh and a humble, thoughtful attitude of mind is an essential prerequisite of prayer.

Yet this should not lead us into thinking that prayer is something that must be confined to those rare occasions when we have a dire need or when somehow we ‘think’ our frame of mind is right. If that were the case prayer would be a rare event indeed. On the contrary, faith will desire to commune with Yahweh in prayer, drawing strength and comfort from knowing that prayer is heard.  A living faith will listen to the exhortation of Paul who tells us to “Pray without ceasing” (1Thess 5:17) and who wrote:

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints” Eph 6:18

Yet how often prayer comes forth from faltering and stammering lips that so often do not somehow find the right words to say. How often when desiring to engage in prayer, do we find that the mind wanders or thoughts get jumbled up and our words feel clumsy and inadequate before the Lord our God. If this is the case, then be assured you are not on your own!

The disciples once asked the Lord Jesus ‘teach us how to pray’. His answer came as that wonderful model of prayer that has become known as ‘the Lord’s prayer’ (Luke 11:2-4). It is not the intent now to go into the detail of this prayer, but just think of its simplicity yet also of the profound nature of the scope of this prayer. The wise man wrote ‘God is in heaven, and you on earth’, thus the Lord’s Prayer commences with ‘Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.”  Reverence for Yahweh and His great Name should be the first thought and unpinning motive behind prayer. It is a deep and intense realisation that puts human nature firmly in its place. Human nature and personal will is then subjected to His divine will by acknowledging:

“Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.

A faith put into action will eagerly seek out His will and strive to obey His commands. Faith will desire to know His ways and His Word, then will strive to live a life according to those precepts. So very often the perspective will falter, vision will fade, and personal desires will surface, striving to take precedence over His will. But faithful prayer will restore the right perspective once again.

A living faith will realise the utter truth of Jesus next words: “Give us day by day our daily bread” and recall the teaching that “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4

Our dependence upon Yahweh is total, for we have nothing that has not been given to us and day by day our merciful Creator provides for His children’s spiritual and material needs. More than this, “He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust”. (Matthew 5:45), how much more then will He not provide for those who love Him. Thus Paul writes:

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6-7

The next words in the Lord’s Prayer remind and emphasise our overriding need for forgiveness. Despite our best efforts we all, every single one of us, fail to avoid sin. Thus Jesus taught His disciples to pray:

“forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

This is no mere academic acknowledgment of the need for forgiveness, nor mechanistic recital of the words, but forgiveness must be sought from a repentant heart that desires to put right what is wrong. Forgiveness will not be granted if sin is not truly repented of, because we persist in deliberately doing what we have done wrong.  Nor will we find forgiveness if we cannot forgive from the heart, those who in reality owe, but a paltry debt to us. Yet as in all things we are so frail and weak, never able to attain to the ideal. So many times we find ourselves, despite best intentions, doing those things we know to be wrong – sin so easily entangles. How often we forgive, but find it hard to forget!  Surely we can relate to those words that Paul wrote:

“O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God––through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Rom 7:24-25

Thus we have a great need to be kept away from temptation and sin and to be delivered from evil. Overcoming our failings is not something that we can do alone. We must make the effort, but the strength to overcome will be derived from a living faith that arises from the daily reading and practice of the Word. A willing mind that attempts to put the commandments into daily practice, to the best of our ability.

However, prayer must not be viewed as being only for our own needs. It is equally as much a time and opportunity to remember the needs of others. Indeed, James writes:

“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:14-16

The fervent prayer of a righteous man! Surely we think, not us. If only I might be righteous and the possessor of such fervent lips! In many ways this thought may be correct, for we are in so many aspects of our lives ‘unrighteous’. Yet we have the comfort that through the Lord Jesus Christ sincere prayer rises up as sweet incense before the Lord our God, sanctified in Jesus and acceptable through his mediation. The one perfect and truly righteous man. Indeed David prayed:

“Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.” Psalm 141:2

Yahweh is indeed willing to hear prayer and as already remarked, prayer is both a privilege and the life blood of faith. What child does not seek out their father to talk to them, to seek advice, to talk about problems, to share experiences and events? How much more then, should we as children of the living God, not seek Him out through prayer. Yet we need the right attitude of mind that fully believes and trusts that our prayers will be heard. If we do not have this belief and confidence, then our prayer will be still born, echoing up into eternal silence. Now David’s confidence that Yahweh would hear prayer shines through the Psalms:

“O You who hear prayer, To You all flesh will come. Iniquities prevail against me; As for our transgressions, You will provide atonement for them” Psalm 65:2-3

and

“If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear. But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy from me!”  Psalm 66:18-20

Though our sense of iniquity may feel like a burden that we carry. Though we may feel that personal sin will count against us, a living faith will find solace in the knowledge that Yahweh has provided atonement. Though our prayers come from stammering lips, He will not turn His mercy away from us. His only requirement is that we do not regard iniquity, but rather strive to develop a living and active faith, having our minds attuned to His will and purpose.

Yahweh will listen to sincere prayers that stem from an open and honest heart. There is no need to shout, no need to even to speak out loud, our very thoughts are known to Him who knows all things. No motive is hidden and every thought is laid bare before our Creator. The silently expressed thoughts stemming from the heart are heard and noted. No matter what our problems, cares or worries, strength and help are only a prayer away!

To be continued...
A Living Faith #8 Change
A Living Faith #9 Our Manner of Life
A Living Faith #10: Our manner of Life #2
A Living Faith #11 My place in the body of Christ and my ecclesia
A Living Faith #12 The Love for Jesus

Andy Peel

+ 

Of interest: > Faith Requires a Basis

+++
2016 January update for related articles

Related articles

• Westminster Shorter Catechism - Lord's Day 49
• Different faiths to gather in Sioux Falls for prayer service
• Hands of an Apostle
• Why you shouldn't lose heart if you fail at prayer.....
• LISTEN: The Prayer Motivator Minute #804 with Daniel Whyte III
• Dec. 27 Proclaimed Can You Pray for An Hour Day in Meridian
• The Power Of Prayer
• The Prayers You Offer to Others are a Ticket to Higher Consciousness by Shanta Gabriel | Dec 13, 2015 | Inspiration for the Week
• Food for Thought-An Advent Litany
• Bonhoeffer's Morning Prayer (A Prayer for Sunday)