To the many or few that read this blog I owe an apology for being so long. I know that there is no set time limit but I hate it when I follow someone's blog or site and they take an excessive amount of time in updating it.
Ministry has been busy and challenging. When the needful things get crazy the fun things like blogging take a back seat. I do enjoy sharing my odd, challenging, convicting, and sometimes extreme views. This is definitely what keeps us from being boring.
I do have a quote that made me think.
I read this week where a pastor said that the meanest people he had ever met were in the church.
Agreed, he has probably been hurt but what do you think?
What do you think?
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7 comments:
DT,
Welcome back to cyber-world!!! I was wondering what happened to you. Glad you're back, I hope...
About the quote; Let's not mistake being "in the church" with being a born-again Christian.
Jesus often found his biggest antagonizers and critics from within "the church," ie; the Pharisees.
So it's possible that this Pastor has some of Satan's disciples attending his church. Then again, they may be very immature believers who need rebuking or shepherding!
TMD,
Very good point. As a pastor I have experienced the children of the devil in the church so you very well could be right.
As one man said, "The most committed people that walked with the Lord were the Pharisees and Saducees."
Thanks for the encouragement.
DT
Because the church is filled with humans, I would expect to find many of the sins represented by any congregation. Not just meanness. Some sins just make themselves more visible to others.
We are all still sinners though saved.
what is important is walking in repentance.
Are the mean, liars, gossips, etc. (name any sin), being given the exhortation to repent of sin?
We all need to be reminded to forsake sin, flee temptation, be innocent of evil, focus on Jesus, put to death the deeds of the flesh, etc.
Repentance is an important exhortation to hear every week in church.
As well as the need to forgive those who have wronged us by being mean. I wonder if the pastor is harboring a grudge.
Even he needs gentle exhortations to forgive and also walk in repentance for his own sins.
Since, love covers a multitude of sins.
I would expect the shepherd to be more concerned that this 'mean' person be right with God first. Since God is offended by any sin.
A shepherd should with gentleness confront a mean person for God's glory and to restore the relationship that is harmed by the sin of meanness.
grateful,
Point well made.
Though I think that the inflictors of the meanness sometimes think they are the the hand of God doing His bidding. To them they doing the "work of God."
Thanks,
DT
It's an interesting place to be in, when someone is 'doing the work of God' to us, when they have in fact been on a mission stimulated by their own imagination.
I have been such a recipient. A number of times. It doesn't get easier. And it always comes when I don't expect it.
This is where and when it's important to have love and patience for all. Even when it hurts.
When we only love those who are lovely what reward will we have?
So I try to take it as a moment to let the Lord build godly character within me, unto His glory.
Or I can feel hurt, misunderstood, unappreciated, or whatever.
Each very tempting and I have gone that route. It's not good.
Then I end up having to be repentant.
Grateful,
That is a very good point. As I have commented to many, we don't want to waste the moments that the Lord is molding us.
DT
That's just silly. That's putting the cart before the horse. The pastor spends a lot of time at church - so of course he's going to meet negative people there more than other places. Plus, some churches pack 'em in tight, so the number of negative people he meets will be higher due to the higher number of people in one place.
I've met some awesome Christians and some really stupid ones. Nice ones and mean ones. Honest ones and woefully dishonest ones.
This just goes to show that even pastors can have a lack of critical thinking skills.
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