PATTISON’S PERSPECTIVE

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Ivan Pattison, Australia

 

 

 

Why is the church the way it is today?

 

 

Deuteronomy 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

 

Deuteronomy 28:2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.

 

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places] in Christ:

 

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

 

For the church to change the following should be applied!!

Rejoice evermore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  1 Thessalonians 5:16

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING . . . . . . . . .   1 Thessalonians 5:17

MEDITATE DAY AND NIGHT. . . . . . . .   Psalm 1:2       Joshua 1:8

HAVING THE MIND OF CHRIST . . . . .  1 Corinthians 2:16

 

What the church is, and what it should be, seems to be two different things, what example Jesus has shown, and our actions are so much different, at least in many of the church goers of today.

 

There is an Australian saying that the teachers go to church on Sunday to give them strength to belt the children at school on Monday, and this would seem to be the example of many Christians of today, maybe not to belt the children on Monday, but the example to their work mates was not the same as their example on Sunday to those at church.

 

I admire those who have made good their life in Christ Jesus, and have achieved great things in their life, through the Lord Jesus Christ.  What a wonderful testimony some have, and much of it comes back to the example of at least one of their parents life, and the example they have shown, also a verse comes to me, Proverbs 22:6 “train up a child in the way he should go, and he will not depart from it”, and most times they don’t.

 

It also comes back to the discipline and love that has been given to the child.  Quite often a person who grows up in the church, does not appreciate Jesus as much as the person who is a come lately into the church.  This is not always the case but many times it is, and it is so sad that this happens.

The church has a lot of pollution in it, and quite often this comes from a new Christian who brings in ideas into the body of Christ that are not Scriptural, and they are not corrected, and if they are corrected, quite often it is not out of love.  Complacency from life members of the church is the other thing that creates pollution.

 

I know of unsaved people who went to church, and every time they did someone would come and button hole him or her, and so drive them away, instead of showing real compassionate love to the person and winning them for Christ through love.  Love is the only way to bring someone to Christ, not through bulling tactics which is sometimes used.

 

Older church goers, have hunted many of our young people from the church in days past, by laying down the law, or their own idea what a Christian should be like, in other words doing the work of the Holy Spirit, and therefore turning away many from following Jesus.

 

Kill the wounded --- Shoot the wounded, are words that JJ Daniel wrote some years ago, and I have heard Kenneth Copeland use similar words, and isn’t this what many of us have done, or are still doing today, without any thought of the other persons situation, or feelings.  There is a saying, when seeing someone who has ruined their life, “there goes I, only for the grace of God”, and isn’t it true, many do not appreciate that we are not in their shoes.  How sad that so many do not have feelings for others, do not care, and do not have the love we should have.

 

I read the other day where we are going into a situation that we will not like, but as Christians we are doing our own thing, and not paying attention to what is going on around us, and when we wake up to what is going on around us, it will be too late to do anything about it!!!

 

I believe today's word should be; Love, Love and more Love, that is the Love of Jesus, He has shown us by example, now let us be filled with His Love for each other!!!

 

Jesus Loves you and so do I !!!

 

Passing on the Beautiful Love and Peace of Jesus that is very satisfying, and I know Jesus wants me to pass on His Love and Peace to you.

 

Ivan