When we are born-again our thinking is completely changed into a new mindset. We love the things of the Lord searching His Word for truth. And, we hate sin and evil.
If we are authentic believers seeking Christ we will be as fish swimming against the current, often beaten up by those who are following the "group-think" of the modern church.
Have you ever seen a Salmon who has been swimming upstream, they are battered by rocks, bruised, and injured.
Matthew 6:7-8
"And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him."
Often within the modern church things are done by ritual and rote. The people in the pews are "dead-pan" without enthusiasm toward Christ so their ritualistic responses to things are more out of obligation than dedication to Him.
When our faith becomes obligation and self-safety, it has become "religion" not a relationship with Christ.
It would be an interesting study to ask people why they attend church gatherings. Here are some responses I have heard from people:
"I like the music"
"I feel safe going to church"
"I am surrounded by good people whom I love"
"It's the decent thing to do"
"I want to be a good person"
"I like the preaching"
"I like the pastor"
"They have activities I enjoy attending"
Rarely have I heard from people that they attended the gathering to meet corporately to worship and honor Jesus Christ. In fact, the answers often have nothing to do with Christ and a move of the Holy Spirit. The answers that were given were the same responses we would hear from any secular club someone might join.
People for the most part do not even think about the Holy Spirit. They do not speak of how He has worked in their lives or what He has taught them lately.
I once mentioned the Holy Spirit as being the One Who must guide us and the "Christian" listening laughed at me as though it was a cop-out, a pat answer, and not worthy of respect.
That led me to believe that most church attendees do not think about the Holy Spirit at all. They operate under a system of rules sprinkled liberally with human wisdom to make themselves feel like a better person and still able to fit into the culture around them.
These people are resistant to correction from the Word of God, sadly while saying they are "Bible-believing."
1 John 2:15-16 " 15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.…"
The world has moved into the church overtaking it with reckless abandon. Abandoning the Word of God and worse, changing the meaning of God's Word, they pretend to love God but have no relationship with Christ, even denying Him by lack of use of His name.
We are living in very difficult, ragingly insane times that try our patience and keep us engaged in a Spiritual battle.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh,
4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
5 We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,"
The more we obey and the more we speak the truth the fewer friends and supporters we will have around us in these last days.
Never allow the temptation to believe you must be doing something wrong because everyone around you is contemptuous of you. The chances are good if you are following Christ you will be hated by most people.
Matthew 10:21-22 "…21 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. "
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