Opinions to Generate Opinions then Answers

As I think about the previous post, which I updated, my mind wonders to thoughts that the church has become driven by what do we need to do more of instead of what did Christ do for me and others. We have ministries that are great and give people the chance to minister to people who have real hurts and needs. The problem is we do not see it as that. We see it as something that is taking OUR time and we don't like it. If we could get out of the works oriented thinking and begin to think of real people who have real feelings, would ministries change in the church? Would volunteers become so numerous because we know what Christ has done in our lives and we want to see Him do the same things in others lives? Prayer is important. Bible reading is important. But if it isn't changing my life now, what is more of it going to do? We need to let what we read and what we pray begin to change us. God is at work if you will let Him work and leave Him work alone.

Here is a thought, are we more caught up in what does a Christian look like that we are forgetting to spread the Kingdom of God? Yes, I do believe the church needs to repent. But maybe the sin I'm talking about isn't the sin that you are thinking about. Maybe the sin in the church is more of the Pharisee style, where we have become a church with so many rules and if you don't match up to them, then shame on you, that we are failing to uphold the Great Commission. Maybe that is the sin that we need to repent of.

What about this... Have tattoo's and body piercing become the 21st century church splitter just like hymns vs. chorus's or color of capert and paint on the walls was for past generations (and is still a church splitter today)?

The shed blood of Jesus changes all of this, if we begin to let His blood flow down in our lives. I can't make people repent, I can only make people feel guilty and condemned. I can't make people feel forgiven, I can only preach that if you are willing to accept what Christ has done and possess it then you are forgiven. I can't make people realize that it isn't what's on the outside that makes a follower of Christ, its what's on the inside that counts. These are all things that the Holy Spirit takes care of as I'm willing to love people with Christ's love.

These are just thoughts and opinions that I'm praying, lead to other thoughts and opinions and then to answers so that we can settle some of these issues that hurt the church once and for all... maybe. That is all up to us.