Have you ever thought about how the "Mega Church" and "The American Dream" has grown into the same thing? Church's now seem to think that to do the work of God they need more money and bigger churches and a "Starbucks" in the lobby to get more people to come and then it just starts all over.
Is that really what Jesus had in mind for His church when He left this world? Would Jesus really want a "Starbucks" in the lobby of a Church/Palace? How can churches justify this when the greatest example in ministry was known for turning thousands of people away! Think about this for just a minute. When the crowd would get big, Jesus would say, "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you." How would you think the people that was listening to Him teach reacted to this? This guy is wanting us to eat Him? GROSS. By the end of that speech all the crowds had left, and only the twelve remained. Jesus seemed okay with this!
Has the church in America embraced values and ideas that are not only unbiblical but that actually contradict the gospel we claim to believe?
If Jesus is who He said He is, and if His promises are as rewarding as the Bible claims they are, then we may discover that satisfaction in our lives and success in the church are not found in what our culture deems most important but in the teaching of the true gospel.
Here is one more point to think about. After Jesus' ministry had ended He basically had only the same 12 guys he started out with.
I'm not saying we shouldn't be out there winning souls for Jesus. That is not my point at all. That is what Jesus has called us to do. What I'm asking is do we really need to build a Palace with a "Starbucks" just to attract people in or should we use the message that Jesus taught us to show love and compassion. Is it the money, the glamor, the big production on Sunday, or is it the message of Jesus that we are sharing?
Until next time, keep you saddles cinched and may your trails be smooth.
