Where Did All The Christians Go?

Timothy,
I have been thinking a lot about the church and how far we have moved from scripture. We live in a world where the church is the mirror image of the world around it. We seem to be no different. Why? I think one reason is we have forgotten the mission of Christ. Jesus lived a life where He thought of others before He thought of Himself. He feed those who were hungry, healed those who were sick and dying, and brought hope to a people with no hope. Today our churches are more worried about what is going on inside the church building and less and less about the world outside their church walls. We are focused on budgets, buildings, and bull. I learned yesterday that the executive director of the KBC makes over $160,000 dollars a year and it made me sick. It is not just the KBC that has salaries that are unbelievable; many of our churches pay their pastor over this amount. My question is why? Why does anyone need that much money? Is it to feed his family? Is it to buy a home, or pay the bills? No I don't think so. I think it is to live the American dream to take all you can, die with all you can, and forget the rest of the world. If others can't make it then it must be their fault. They must have a flaw or they would be able to make that much money too. Jesus did not tell us to get rich contrary to popular belief. This is not supposed to be your best life that comes later. Jesus did not tell the disciples to go into the world and create a mega church. He told them to make disciples and to do that by teaching them all that they had learned under Jesus' teaching. Tell me Timothy maybe I am wrong but have we continued to teach what Jesus taught? As I look at the Sermon on the Mount I bow my head and pray for forgiveness for the way we live. Pray Timothy that the church will once again remember the mission that Jesus has given us to save our world.

How Deep Is Your Love

Love Your Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, [8] what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Jesus sure has some wild ideas about how we should treat each other. Here in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus talks about love. We as Christians cannot love like everyone else in the world does. Our love has to go deeper. Tonight I asked the youth if they loved their parents, friends, brothers, sisters, and me. They all raised their hands and affirmed that they in fact did love all those that I had mentioned and then I asked if they loved Osama BIn Laden and no one raised their hand. The fact is that we cannot change our world until we love our greatest enemy as much as we love our greatest friend. Think about it Timothy and let me know what you think.

MC