The Passivity of the Current Christian Church
Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Christianity, Church
| Author: | Kenneth B. Alexander | ISBN: | 9781456616496 |
| Publisher: | eBookIt.com | Publication: | May 4, 2013 |
| Imprint: | eBookIt.com | Language: | English |
| Author: | Kenneth B. Alexander |
| ISBN: | 9781456616496 |
| Publisher: | eBookIt.com |
| Publication: | May 4, 2013 |
| Imprint: | eBookIt.com |
| Language: | English |
The time has come to call things as they are in the world of most of Christianity. Mainline Christianity and religion in general is missing the mark so far as God is concerned. Christian churches throughout the world are in a holding pattern waiting for something to happen. A visit to nearly any Christian church will reveal that the basis of their doctrine is that they are waiting: for a rapture, a second coming, a tribulation or a sign from God. Even worse, patrons are waiting to die so they can go to heaven and live the good life. The end result is that in the meantime they are doing nothing to bring the Kingdom forth on the earth. They may be doing many "good works" and have "good" programs but is God really in those works and programs. Jesus taught us to pray for what is stated in Matthew 6:10: "God's Kingdom come, His will be done, On earth as it is in Heaven". Jesus when he was on the earth did not do a lot of good works but directed his entire focus on bringing forth the Kingdom on the earth.
Who out there is praying for God's Kingdom to come on earth? Heaven or the Kingdom of God, even in the songs that are sung between church walls, becomes a faraway place, attainable only if we live good lives. The songs that are sung put heaven in a distant place we shall see someday "In the Sweet Bye and Bye". Jesus said: "Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matt 6:34). If we are always looking ahead to heaven what are we doing to bring heaven to earth on all the other days? In the Book of Luke he quotes the same prayer as Matthew but follows it with an exhortation to always be persistent in praying for the kingdom. In other words Luke is not telling us to wait for anything but to be persistent in our cry for the Kingdom NOW (Luke 11:5-13).
Eschatology (the science of the end of all things) has taught that the earth is going to end and the good people will go to heaven and the bad people to hell. Nothing could be further from Christ's truth. He is returning to set up His kingdom on the earth. He is coming to be glorified in His saints and to be admired in all them that believe (II Thessalonians 1:10). But don't ever confuse it as being just a spiritual coming. I believe that the spiritual coming is first, but you can never divorce Jesus Christ from His humanity. It is the Son of Man who is going to come in the clouds of glory (Matthew 24:30; Mark 13:26). He is going to come in His humanity in like manner as the disciples saw Him go away (Acts 1:11). We are going to see the Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh, in His glory, in His deity, in all that He represents, coming as King of kings and Lord of lords to set up His Kingdom on the earth (Revelation 17:14; 19:16; 11:15)
Who out there is praying for God's Kingdom to come on earth? Heaven or the Kingdom of God, even in the songs that are sung between church walls, becomes a faraway place, attainable only if we live good lives. The songs that are sung put heaven in a distant place we shall see someday "In the Sweet Bye and Bye". Jesus said: "Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matt 6:34). If we are always looking ahead to heaven what are we doing to bring heaven to earth on all the other days? In the Book of Luke he quotes the same prayer as Matthew but follows it with an exhortation to always be persistent in praying for the kingdom. In other words Luke is not telling us to wait for anything but to be persistent in our cry for the Kingdom NOW (Luke 11:5-13).
Eschatology (the science of the end of all things) has taught that the earth is going to end and the good people will go to heaven and the bad people to hell. Nothing could be further from Christ's truth. He is returning to set up His kingdom on the earth. He is coming to be glorified in His saints and to be admired in all them that believe (II Thessalonians 1:10). But don't ever confuse it as being just a spiritual coming. I believe that the spiritual coming is first, but you can never divorce Jesus Christ from His humanity. It is the Son of Man who is going to come in the clouds of glory (Matthew 24:30; Mark 13:26). He is going to come in His humanity in like manner as the disciples saw Him go away (Acts 1:11). We are going to see the Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh, in His glory, in His deity, in all that He represents, coming as King of kings and Lord of lords to set up His Kingdom on the earth (Revelation 17:14; 19:16; 11:15)
The time has come to call things as they are in the world of most of Christianity. Mainline Christianity and religion in general is missing the mark so far as God is concerned. Christian churches throughout the world are in a holding pattern waiting for something to happen. A visit to nearly any Christian church will reveal that the basis of their doctrine is that they are waiting: for a rapture, a second coming, a tribulation or a sign from God. Even worse, patrons are waiting to die so they can go to heaven and live the good life. The end result is that in the meantime they are doing nothing to bring the Kingdom forth on the earth. They may be doing many "good works" and have "good" programs but is God really in those works and programs. Jesus taught us to pray for what is stated in Matthew 6:10: "God's Kingdom come, His will be done, On earth as it is in Heaven". Jesus when he was on the earth did not do a lot of good works but directed his entire focus on bringing forth the Kingdom on the earth.
Who out there is praying for God's Kingdom to come on earth? Heaven or the Kingdom of God, even in the songs that are sung between church walls, becomes a faraway place, attainable only if we live good lives. The songs that are sung put heaven in a distant place we shall see someday "In the Sweet Bye and Bye". Jesus said: "Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matt 6:34). If we are always looking ahead to heaven what are we doing to bring heaven to earth on all the other days? In the Book of Luke he quotes the same prayer as Matthew but follows it with an exhortation to always be persistent in praying for the kingdom. In other words Luke is not telling us to wait for anything but to be persistent in our cry for the Kingdom NOW (Luke 11:5-13).
Eschatology (the science of the end of all things) has taught that the earth is going to end and the good people will go to heaven and the bad people to hell. Nothing could be further from Christ's truth. He is returning to set up His kingdom on the earth. He is coming to be glorified in His saints and to be admired in all them that believe (II Thessalonians 1:10). But don't ever confuse it as being just a spiritual coming. I believe that the spiritual coming is first, but you can never divorce Jesus Christ from His humanity. It is the Son of Man who is going to come in the clouds of glory (Matthew 24:30; Mark 13:26). He is going to come in His humanity in like manner as the disciples saw Him go away (Acts 1:11). We are going to see the Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh, in His glory, in His deity, in all that He represents, coming as King of kings and Lord of lords to set up His Kingdom on the earth (Revelation 17:14; 19:16; 11:15)
Who out there is praying for God's Kingdom to come on earth? Heaven or the Kingdom of God, even in the songs that are sung between church walls, becomes a faraway place, attainable only if we live good lives. The songs that are sung put heaven in a distant place we shall see someday "In the Sweet Bye and Bye". Jesus said: "Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matt 6:34). If we are always looking ahead to heaven what are we doing to bring heaven to earth on all the other days? In the Book of Luke he quotes the same prayer as Matthew but follows it with an exhortation to always be persistent in praying for the kingdom. In other words Luke is not telling us to wait for anything but to be persistent in our cry for the Kingdom NOW (Luke 11:5-13).
Eschatology (the science of the end of all things) has taught that the earth is going to end and the good people will go to heaven and the bad people to hell. Nothing could be further from Christ's truth. He is returning to set up His kingdom on the earth. He is coming to be glorified in His saints and to be admired in all them that believe (II Thessalonians 1:10). But don't ever confuse it as being just a spiritual coming. I believe that the spiritual coming is first, but you can never divorce Jesus Christ from His humanity. It is the Son of Man who is going to come in the clouds of glory (Matthew 24:30; Mark 13:26). He is going to come in His humanity in like manner as the disciples saw Him go away (Acts 1:11). We are going to see the Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh, in His glory, in His deity, in all that He represents, coming as King of kings and Lord of lords to set up His Kingdom on the earth (Revelation 17:14; 19:16; 11:15)
