Many of us since Covid, and the affect it has over our lives, have adjusted, or re-thought about attending church; having focused more toward TV Ministries as an alternative. More than a few of these Ministries highlight a brand, and will target that image in a direction to gather your support, and their congregations buy into it. Their trend can be quite different from scripture by cleverly, or just wrongly disguising their objective as if it weren’t.
Don’t get me wrong, Churches have callings also; example: Church A’s mission is this, and Church B’s mission is that, and Church C’s mission is the other thing. All good, but it’s their activities behind the scenes that’ll seem as if they don’t believe what they preach. How? When these brands seep into a doctrine not found in the Bible, that’s how.
Where does their brand end, and the Gospel begin even when they’re away from the assembly? I’m talking about enticement. What really are these churches encouraging with their power of influence?
I’m seeing, and hearing more and more churches divide themselves into Conservative and Liberal agendas, and this war happening against one another claiming one position over the other is Godly. Let’s look at this.
Conservatism is a type of political belief that supports the importance of past traditions, [traditions that have, or will mostly favor a select few]; depending on the individual to maintain social order, also known as: Self — or, I got mine, you get yours.
Liberalism is a type of political belief that advocate Civil Liberties as a right. They want to establish a balance of freedom for the people when the apparent is not possible, also known as: My brother’s keeper — or, doing for the people what they can’t do for themselves when the balance of Civil Liberties have been altered by no fault of their own.
Jesus gave specific commands before He ascended back into eternity – (Matthew 28:18-20), that reads: Go make disciples, meaning: Help show the people they have a Divine will and purpose for their lives; so, get out and do it because we’re not pew sitters to be entertained from cradle to grave. Baptize people in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and don’t deviate/stray from what I’ve taught you.
Jesus also said in – (Matthew 10:7-14), that reads: Preach His message, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons, take no money, take no clothes, and if a home welcomes you, stay there until you move on, because that home is worthy. But if they don’t welcome you, move on; their fate will be worst then Sodom and Gomorrah’s. Jesus wouldn’t tell us to do these things if we couldn’t. Is that Conservativism?
Jesus made a whip, He beat, and He disrupted things until He drove out all the church’s bottom-line motive to profit from the order of events of that day. – (John 2:15). Conservativism? They probably could have done great things with that money conservatives would say.
Jesus gave food to thousands who came to hear His message more than once, and from someone else’s basket – (Matthew 14:13-22) – (Matthew 15:29-39). These events are not the same, they happened in two different cities. Habit? Liberal — doing for people what they can’t do for themselves; being their brother’s keeper. Or should it have been up to the individuals — to each his own – you know, Conservative?
Jesus said put all your cares upon Him. Why? Does this mean He’ll carry the burden for you, and for what – (1st Peter 5:7)? Is this Conservative?
Jesus paid the wage for our Sin debt which we all owe and must be paid — but with His life, also known as the Gospel – [The Gospel is Jesus’s birth, life, death, and Resurrection]. Freeing people from their debt – sin dept in this case. Is that Conservative? I could go on.
God does not help those who helps themselves. I’ll repeat — God does not help those who helps themselves. That’s the lie of Benjamin Franklin, and he took it from someone else.
If you can help yourself, meaning: redeem yourself, you don’t need God – (Job 40:1-14). God is challenging Job statement that he’s right, and God’s wrong about him. God said He’d step back if Job can do a few things which God named.
Imagine that. God is willing to let you be your own god, and He’ll confess to you that your own right hand can save you, if you’ll do a few things better than He.
Keep believing you’re self-made, that you make your own way, walk the path you choose, make all you can, can all you make; then sit on your can – sound like a song from Frank Sinatra, “I did it my way;” even while so many others are having their Civil Liberties violated by no fault of their own — but by a few, who are fueled by politics, and now today, so many Churches.
Everything is moving toward self – Conservative love it, but it’s not scriptural. What’s scriptural is this illustration that points out some fulfillment of end times prophecy.
Gaidi