Has Christ Abandoned His Church?
Tue, Dec 15, 2009
I am not sure if you have ever asked yourself that question. I recently took the opportunity to start reading an old book written many years ago by a lady by the name of Ellen White. The book is called ‘The Desire of Ages’. That book has really made me step back and ask some hard questions like:
Would Christ react the same today to His church on the earth as He did long ago?
Would He weep over the condition of His church as He did nearly 2000 years ago?
I personally believe God has a true church on the earth. It is identified as ‘the remnant’ in the book of The Revelation. There are characteristics of that movement such as ‘keep the commandments’, have the ‘faith of Jesus’, known for their ‘Patience’ and other details.
I then look at the spirit that Christ had, one of fidelity and meekness yet courageous. I will be honest I see very little of this today. What happened to men of old that would stand for the right though the heavens fall? What happened to leaders like Joshua that would go against the grain and be willing to stand up to the other 10 who opposed Him.
Men who knew they were on the Lord’s side because they knew the Lord. I almost laugh as I write this because it seems there are so few who are willing to lose a salary or a job or something dear to them so that they may be true to purpose and true to their God.
I posted a story a few days ago on presenttruth.com about the integrity of Elijah and his courage in the midst of Israel’s apostasy. Do you think there are still men like that today?
I know what many say. ‘That the church is growing and that we are recieving rich blessings all of the time”. Do we really believe this?
STOP EVERYTHING FOR JUST ONE MOMENT: Do you really believe God is bestowing and lavishing His blessings and His Spirit onto His church today in 2009? I am serious. Is He?
If not, we need to ask why not? Could it be that we have abandoned Him. That we have abandoned the life He would have us to live and have chosen our own selfish path. We are the most selfish generation barring that of Noah’s day. We have churches debating building bigger buildings and adding new this and new that when in a majority of the earth there is not even clean DRINKING WATER!!!
REALLY???!! Is this God’s church? If you believe so, then I think it is time we act like it. It is time to go back to the basics of Christianity and see what makes the followers of God really His? If He came today, would He claim us as His own? It is about time one of us asked if we were doing all that we can to be in the boundaries of God’s blessings. We hoard the blessings of heaven rather than act selflessly and serve our fellow man.
I do not think God has abandoned His church. He has a true bride and He will one day soon return for Her. She needs some cleaning up though and He will one day soon begin the ‘extreme makeover’ if you will. I pray that when He does that, that I will be faithful to Him even if He asks me for some sacrifices that might be hard for me to make. I never want to have anything in my life so dear to me that it is hard for me to give up for my Savior. How about you?
God will have a bride ready to meet Him. Let’s strive to get to know Christ through a daily experience so that when He returns for His bride we will be recognized by Him and He will say those words ” You are mine, I redeemed you, now come with Me….Home.
Tags: Christ's Bride, God's true church, second coming, The remnant
As SDA we know that in the end there will be among “true” Adventist a spirit of primitive godliness. I am sad to admit that our church in general is becoming more and more worldy. I went to a Messiah concert at Collegedale church on Sunday evening. I was shocked that the concert, thought it being “MESSIAH”, did not even start or end with prayer. At the end of the concert, the conductor and musicians received applause, and they all gave each other praise for a job well done yet, no recognition or praise to Christ. “THE CHURCH WILL SEEM TO FALL” is written in prophecy. Soon there will be such a shaking in our church that all this vain-glory will be purified out. On the flip side I am encouraged to see a small group of Adventist meeting in private homes for bible study, prayer, testimony, and deep consecration. A few of us are talking about starting a home church once a month too, we do not plan to leave the SDA church for it is God’s true church until He comes. There is a purification process taking place at the same time a shaking out process, all preparing to receive either the seal of God or the mark of the beast. We must DAILY, individually and corporately, be consecrating our lives to Christ like NEVER BEFORE. Justification AND SANCTIFICATION are BOTH part of our walk. I have heard many say lately that our churches our preaching much justification (a Grace message) but NO sanctification. We see it’s true when SDA members are filling our churches with Jewelry, gluttony (food), fashionable dressing, movie going (on the sabbath), restaurants on the Sabbath, worldly style music in our church worships….etc. What a terrible thing it would be to lose our salvation…God’s government is pure, holy, and righteous. We must be pure, holy and righteous…God Help me and our churches to seek this for our lives.
Amen to both of you! “Dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand ALONE, dare to have a purpose FIRM, DARE TO MAKE IT KNOWN.” Thank you for sharing. I pray every day now that God would put “enmity” in my heart and the hearts of my family and loved ones and all God’s children against the things of this world… (I believe we could soon lose all worldly support anyway!) and to put a love of God’s truth in our hearts. The other night I was reading to my 5 year old son a wonderful book for children by EGW called Life of Jesus… He said, “This is boring!” I know my son loves Jesus and I don’t let him watch TV! “God help me! God help all of us! I pray for God to make up the difference where I fail not just my son but my family and whoever else I am to be a light to!
all i can say is,church organisation has really been misinterpreted,its so sad,its up to those of us whom christ has given the eye salve to point his people back to the right concept of christianity.it aint easy but those are the things which just needs to happen. may god have mercy on his people.
The church is in a mess today but God will have a 144,000 to give the loud cry very soon characters are being formed men, women and boys anf girls are surrending. On sabbath a brother and i was speaking concering present truth and a sister ask why they refering to pastors are not telling us these things. i replied to her the statment fro EGW from tesst vo 5 pg 211 which reads “Thus “Peace and safety” is the cry from men who will never again lift up their voice like a trumpet to show God’s people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins. These dumb dogs that would not bark are the ones who feel the just vengeance of an offended God. Men, maidens, and little children all perish together. { we are in a sad state today me and you and all of us just need to focus on spending time in pray and studying God’s word we dont need to focus on earthly blessing we need to seek God earnestly God is holding back the winds of strive as spoken in REV 7. Denmark had there Global warming summit they didnt agrre as they would have like God sent his angels to buy us more time brethen lets stay faithful no time for games. bye God bless.
The church is not a building with walls and a roof, that is just a place that believers meet. The Church consists of individuals who love the Lord and recognize His deep love for them and want more than anything to be with Him, be like Him and to live for Him. These individuals are found in all denominations not just in the SDA congregations…They are the 5 virgins that have oil in their lamps…the have developed a relationship with Jesus. Jesus said I know my sheep and they know me. Do you know Jesus? He knows everything about you, but do you know Him? Is He your best friend, do you ask Him what He thinks, do you use your prayer phone as often as your cell phone? Are you connected all the time, are you aware of His abiding spirit in you heart and mind. Do you think alike?
Some people who are deeply in love and have been together for a long time know, without even a word spoken, what the other is thinking, are you so aware of the presence of Jesus in your life? Do you are thinking His thoughts and doing His deeds? Like 2 peas in a pod? Those who are that close to Him are His church, His Bride, His Friends. Friends who stick closer than a brother. Its not so much what you know its who you know, because we will be going to heaven because we know Jesus.
i truly believe the seventh day adventist is the remnant church,the problem is that a majority are following the way of the world.iit is a sad fact but there you are.but to the true christian even them who are in the false church ,you will have the light that they have and will do what Christ wants you to do.i am asking all those who dont worship the true sabbath to wake up.for there is aaother sabbath that even the sda church do not do.the sabbath rest which is a rest in Christ through the rest of the week has well has the high weekly sabbath.this is when you love Jesus and your neighbour ,you are one with Christ and i can tell you its good.i really love Christ and his ways.people of the world ,read the scriptures and there you will find true righteousness with Jesus.it is nearly all over the world is nearly over.in fact the generation that were alive in the great war some will be living when Jesus comes .so now you no how near i am talking about.ask for forgiveness [sincerely] and you shall find rest in Christ .God be with you .amen
Having been brought up in the SDA Church and now in my 70’s I am sad at what I see and hear in our beloved church. We talk now of urgntly getting ready for the coming of the Lord and ready for the crisis ahead. There has already been 50 years of doctrinal crisis in our church due to the actions of certain leaders back in the late 1950’s when certain 100 year old doctrines were changed. But the truth of God never changes! The main change was regarding the human nature of Christ; that He came to earth with sinless human nature instead of the fallen nature of Adam which we all inherit. Many statements in the Spirit of Prophecy and the writings of the Advent Pioneers show that He came with OUR NATURE. And what is our nature? Sinless or fallen? Well, its definately not Adam’s sinless nature. EGW is clear on this matter! She says that His nature was the same as ours, otherwise He could not be our Example! {1SM 408; DA 24} I think that we as a people need to get back to the original SDA doctrines which stood our church in good stead for so long, and then God can really bless us as a holy people once more!!
Nice artpiece, who is the artist?