Holding A Match That Is Burning On Both Ends

The Minor Prophets Speak to Today 

Only Two Churches In Christianity

Hosea 11:12-12:1NLT

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A Church that Surrounds God with Lies and Deceit.
A Church that Obeys and is Faithful to the Holy One.

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Kids and adults are prone to do foolish things. How about lighting both ends of a firecracker at the same time? How about holding a match that is burning on both ends? Yet that is what many followers of Christianity are trying to do. Others are trying to put out the fires on both ends.

In God's sight, Christianity is made up of two churches. God could give a rats tail about all the other labels, and sects, and 'churches.'

And it not the first time God's children have been divided into two camps. Hosea's prophecy about God's view of his children at that time stands as an example and a warning to us upon whom the end of time (as scripture declares the age of grace) has come. 1 Corinthians 10:11

Israel, God's children had politically divided many years before - just like today's multitude of so called churches. He refers to them in Hosea as Israel (the Northern Kingdom) and Judah (the Southern Kingdom).

One he spent extended time and words describing as the prostitute. The other, for whom he also had strict warning and disciplinary words, he calls faithful. And so it is with Christianity - God's Children - today. God see only two churches the faithful Church and the Prostitute Church. The labels divide every group that calls itself Christian. It separates congregations, denominations, and whatever other label a group  may use to distinguish itself, into two groups. Into sheep and goats. Into the faithful and the unfaithful. The members He calls true and the members He calls prostitute.

The Prostitute Church surrounds me with lies and deceit,
    but the Faithful Church still obeys God
    and is faithful to the Holy One.

 The people of the Prostitute feed on the wind;
    they chase after the east wind all day long.
They pile up lies and violence;
    they are making an alliance with one opposing party
    while sending favors to buy support from the other,

         playing both ends against the middle.

But they do not understand.

     It is they who are the middle.

          They who will get burned by both ends.

And so we have a world where people from one camp try to put out the fire in the other.
          People are trying to put out the fire on the other end, but ignore the fire on
                              their own end.
                    Still others in arrogance try to put out the fires on both ends at the same time.
                              When God is calling with separate messages of judgment to all who bear or
                                         claim his name!

Answer the call to your own self.
          Repent before God's judgment against you.
                    Neither of you is pure enough to carry out judgment on the other.
                              Let God be God!
                                        Let him burn the wooden beam in your own eye
                                                  so that perchance you may see and become his
                                                              instrument of hope for the world again.      

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Photo Credits:

How To Light A Match by Nick Wheeler some rights reserved @flickr.com
Burning My Candle At Both Ends by Wes Peck some rights reserved @flickr.com