Wednesday, June 11, 2014

CHURCH: Another Current Problem

The Minor Prophets Speak to Today 


The Richer God's People the More Pagan They Become 

st michaels cathedral revisited
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ON A PARALLEL PLAIN:
The more bountiful their income
the more beautiful the things they idolize
including their places of worship.

But beyond beautiful things, beyond places of worship, something subtle happens.
The richer God's people become the more pagan their lifestyles become.
The more pagan their lifestyles become
The more immoral they become.
Till there is no difference
But in name only.


Happened to the early church.
Happened to the Lutherans and Anabaptists.
Happened to the Presbyterians.
Happened to the Methodists.
Happened to the Pentecostals.
Is Happening to the Evangelicals.
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When studying Christianity a particular phenomenon has been noted:


When people become Christians 
they usually experience an economic bounce. 
They tend to get richer with each passing generation.

*  *  *

But what do we do with the wealth?
We take our ease.
We become fickle.
We start to feel self-sufficient.
We begin to become fearful of others.
We begin to become more miserly.
We (especially the next generation)
begin to feel entitled.
We slip into arrogance.
We become better than the 'they' are.

We become totally captive to the deceitfulness of wealth (as in the parable of the sower) and it chokes out the light and life of the Gospel. The white heat of Christianity's fervor dissipates
leaving us again standing in need of admonishment,
in danger of punishment.

Then again the voice of the prophetic rings throughout the land.
They must be punished!
Hosea 10:2 NLT





Photo Credit:
st michaels cathedral revisited by paul bica some rights reserved @ flickr.com

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