Mark this

Mark this

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.  
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,  without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,  treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—  having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” 
                                                                                                                2 Timothy 3:1-5.
Some time ago I came across a book entitled "Essentials in Christian Faith" by John B. Harrington, published in 1958, could have been written today.
  It opens with this quote from Paul Gallico in Esquire Magazine in 1948:
"A writer in a popular magazine has written the following words; 'We are all, if you will pardon the expression, Headed for Hell in a handbarrow. If, ever the people of the world stood in need of a spiritual revival, it is now. We are beginning to poison the face of the earth with our miserable presence. The brakes are off. The cart of the world is sliding down the abyss greased with hatred, ambition, lies, self-seeking and avarice toward the pit.’"
  Harrington notes that Gallico makes no pretense of being "a religious man" noting that "...for him it is precisely religion in its organized forms which has in part caused the situation he deplores. He is careful to state that it is not "religion" for which he is looking. For in his opinion, religion throughout the history of our culture has advanced its control over human beings by the investment of bigotry and persecution. 
   Yet, out of despair over the current human situation he says; ‘The voice for which my heavy spirit is yearning must reach us all... For if it is not heard, we are lost. Something beyond our material enrichment and lust for power and position, some rewards founded on good will, selflessness, and the innate dignity of the human spirit...honour, humility, decency  courage."
Now I can only speak of the Church as I see it here in North America in 2015 and I see Gallico as being right. He seen the world headed for hell in a handbarrow back in 1948 and I believe that our society is further down that slope than ever before.
Not only that there is a failure on the part of many churches, evangelist and pastors to pluck people out of that handbarrow.
I see the church becoming “religious” and turning away from the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. It is this “religious spirit” and “religious people” that cause strife, as Gallico notes,
“in his opinion, religion throughout the history of our culture has advanced its control over human beings by the investment of bigotry and persecution.”
The apostle Paul writing to Timothy said,
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.  
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,  without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,  treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—  having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” 
                                                                                                                  2 Timothy 3:1-5.
This is happening today. Men and women both in the pews and in the pulpit are exhibiting a “form of godliness” but are far from Christ and the teachings he has called Christians to proclaim.
I know many so called evangelicals point to the “mainline churches” and say they are far from God. But many who call themselves evangelicals are far from God.
While they say they are showing the love of God the world sees what Paul Gallico saw in 1948 “bigotry and persecution.”
They see men and women claiming to be Christians standing on corners protesting against the rights of various law abiding groups and individuals they disagree with.
This should not be so.
It is the job of the church to make disciples of all nations. To reach out to individuals no matter who they are or their lifestyle and offer them the salvation only Christ can bring.
Luke’s gospel records this incident with Jesus. He notes,
“After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him,  
and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. 
Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.  
But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” 
Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” 
                                                            Luke 5:27-32.
Jesus set the example he “lived His faith”. He sat down with anyone from any walk of life and pointed them to salvation. This is what we must do.
We as Christians need to check our selves every so often and see if we have a “religious spirit” and if we do we need to get rid of it.
We need to be willing to sit down with people no matter who they are.
Our church congregations need to be a welcoming place for all people of every lifestyle, race and faith. A place we can proclaim the word or God and let the Holy Spirit convict people of any sins they have, as we if we are truly Christian, have no right to judge anyone.
Please think about it.