Sunday, February 18, 2007

Coming Soon

Revelation 22:7 "Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.

"There’s a lot of disruption occurring in the Presbyterian Church, which is dividing our ability to witness effectively in the world. Different pastors and elders hold diverse views about what’s right and wrong for the church, and the people in the pews are being led like sheep to the slaughter on the altars of adversity and discontent. Congregations are leaving the denomination across the country, which is weakening our influence throughout many communities.

Instead of being washed in the blood of Jesus, we’re hemorrhaging. Instead of bringing the good news of the Gospel to the world, we’ve actually become bad news.

I worry about what’s happening. I try to understand why people want to polarize their faith. Is it because we hate one another so much that we have no room for love? Is it because we’ve too much pride that we have forgotten to be humble? Are we so focused on currently making things right for ourselves that we’ve jettisoned the future of the Church? Are we so sure that we’re on the Lord’s side and not servants of Lucifer?

Christ is coming soon. If I live till I’m eighty, then for me He’s coming in the next thirty years. Time is running out for all of us, and He will judge us according to what we have done. Can we honestly say that He is more interested in the divisions we’ve created, or in the people we’ve attracted to Christ? Will Jesus commend us more for doctrinal purity or compassionate conversions?

In the end, Presbyterianism is just another thin branch of the whole Christian Church. Even if it breaks, the tree will survive.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we are Your Church and we are Your people. None of us are perfect; not one of us is pure. Grant us wisdom and discernment, compassion and love. Keep us from dividing the body and diminishing our witness. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John writes the Heaven's Highway daily devotional blog; the weekly religious news blog Stushie's Stuff, and the Worship prayer website "Aaaron's beard."

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Please remove me from the Blog Ring.

Stushie said...

Medical Dictionary Definition of Hemorrhage

Hemorrhage: Bleeding or the abnormal flow of blood.

The term "hemorrhagic" comes from the Greek "haima," blood + rhegnumai," to break forth = a free and forceful escape of blood.

Unknown said...

I'd like to please be removed from this list. This is my second request. Please remove.

Brett Hendrickson said...

It might be more appropriate to think of this New Wineskins business as a shaving nick rather than a hemorrhage. You slap a little dab of kleenex on it, you look silly for a little while, then the dried up blood falls off, you throw it in the waste basket, and you're all better!

Stushie said...

Even a small bleeding cut on the face, done with a razor, is medically called an external hemorrhage.

As for the New Wineskins group, perhaps the words of Gamaliel may be appropriate:

Acts 5:38-39
38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." NIV

Finally, Alex, I am not authorized to remove you from the bloggers list. Contact Miranda (Monday & Wednesday spots). She will be able to comply with your request.

Anonymous said...

Hi John,
I know that you and I frequently come from different points of view, but I couldn't agree more with your quote from Acts. Well put.

Unknown said...

John,

I know that you are not the one to remove me, but there is no place on this blog marked "contact administrator" or the like, so I thought that commenting on the most recent post might reach Miranda somehow. If not, I will wait until Wednesday and make my request again.

Peace,
Alex

Anonymous said...

John,

Truth and love are friends, not enemies.

If the NWAC churches who are leaving feel that the PCUSA is not being true to biblical truth, then they must go and we must wish them well.

BTW--I love your 'washed in the blood' point! Well said.