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sermonindex Moderator
Joined: 2002/12/11 Posts: 39795 Canada
Online! | Confessions of a Proud Church | | WILL JUDGEMENT BEGIN AT THE HOUSE OF GOD?
"The greatest danger facing the Church today is exhaustion - because God is resisting us as a proud Church." Francis Frangipane
We live on the edge of image. We are full of presumption. We exalt our group and personal doctrines. We are self-sufficient. We are unwilling to pray. We are too proud to truly ask for help. We have a critical spirit. We have leaders who disdain the people. We do Kingdom business by the world's standards. We do not tremble at the Word of the Lord. We are full of hypocrisy. We have dethroned Jesus and enthroned ourselves. We are full of deceit - lying to ourselves and to God. We are trapped in SELF consciousness. We are ensnared by the love of money. We have gone to bed with the world. We promote personalities rather than principles. We think we can do Kingdom business apart from the King. We do not know how to humble ourselves. We are full of excuses - refuse to take responsibility. We are competitive with one another. We are carnal in our leadership. We have a controlling spirit. We are self-seeking. We deny the Lordship of Christ. We purport to repent without repenting, giving God's spiritualese. We do not have the fear of the Lord. We do not trust God's grace or mercy. We have confused obedience and grace. We are building our own houses. We are adulterers and fornicators. We have refused to preach and teach the whole TRUTH. We have sought to curry favor with the people more than to please God. We have exchanged righteousness for SELF righteousness. We have evangelized but have not discipled.
_________________ SI Moderator - Greg Gordon
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2006/12/15 2:43 | Profile |
enid Member
Joined: 2006/5/22 Posts: 2680 Nottingham, England
| Re: Confessions of a Proud Church | | Excellent, powerful article.
I have printed off copies to give to people.
It would do us all well to go through each individual line, in prayer, and see where we each fall short.
That is unless, none of it applies to anyone. But I don't think that's true.
We want all of God with none of the pain.
Nothing for nothing.
God bless. |
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2006/12/15 6:23 | Profile |
crsschk Member
Joined: 2003/6/11 Posts: 9192 Santa Clara, CA
| Re: Confessions of a Proud Church | | Timely brother, [i]this[/i] is the problem. [i]This[/i] is prophecy if there ever was one. [i]This[/i] is the Lord's controversy with His people. [i]This[/i] is at the very [i]last[/i], 'they', 'them', 'those'. This is me. Read this as "I" ...
Some more paltry contributions;
We pontificate We denounce easily and pronounce flippantly We do not know [i]what manner of spirit[/i] we are We have turned the sermon on the mount to mourning of the sermon We refuse admittance, confession, heart ward repentance We fake and camouflage transparency We do not truly believe that; We are evil, ultimately, continually, evidentially at the core We have the tongue of poison We are unruly We are wretched, poor, naked, blind, miserable
We infer We hate correction We despise shame We will not suffer We fail in righteousness because it is pride We prophecy lies and have no shame nor trembling We believe we are above it all We refuse to contemplate We will not think and think again We do not hate our lives in this world We have the plank of an I in the eye We have taken the [i]me[/i] out of we We refuse to accept that the controversy is with [i]us[/i]
We will forever be learning without coming to the truth We will not weep over our condition We will miss the very help that contrition brings We will read all these things and cast them aside We will let this all slip right on by
_________________ Mike Balog
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2006/12/15 8:37 | Profile |
RobertW Member
Joined: 2004/2/12 Posts: 4636 St. Joseph, Missouri
| Re: | | Quote:
We are building our own houses.
And Kingdom's I might add. Thanks for sharing Bro. Greg.
_________________ Robert Wurtz II
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2006/12/15 8:44 | Profile |
RobertW Member
Joined: 2004/2/12 Posts: 4636 St. Joseph, Missouri
| Re: | | Quote:
We prophecy lies and have no shame nor trembling
Brother this is one of the most fearful sentences I have ever read. Would to God it be far from all of us. God have mercy. Reminds me of the man who smote the prophet and asked him in effect where did the Spirit go out from him and in to him. In other words, the man boasted that his false prophecy was true and smote the man with the True word. _________________ Robert Wurtz II
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2006/12/15 8:47 | Profile |
RobertW Member
Joined: 2004/2/12 Posts: 4636 St. Joseph, Missouri
| Re: | | Quote:
We will read all these things and cast them aside We will let this all slip right on by
May it not be so. This whole list sounds almost like a confessional cry at a prayer meeting when folk have finally gotten serious. _________________ Robert Wurtz II
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2006/12/15 8:49 | Profile |
InTheLight Member
Joined: 2003/7/31 Posts: 2850 Phoenix, Arizona USA
| Re: | | Quote:
It would do us all well to go through each individual line, in prayer, and see where we each fall short. That is unless, none of it applies to anyone. But I don't think that's true. We want all of God with none of the pain. Nothing for nothing.
This is a very good thought here, using this list as a prayer guide could prove to be very useful in spiritual preparation of the heart.
I have done this in the past using a prayer guide that I found that contains a list of questions to ask of yourself before God. It is most helpful, I posted it here on SI some time ago, here is the link...
[url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=3390&forum=40#22543]Sweet Hour of Prayer - a guide for personal prayer and awakening[/url]
In Christ,
Ron _________________ Ron Halverson
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2006/12/15 10:35 | Profile |
kdbutton Member
Joined: 2006/9/28 Posts: 108
| Re: | | Thank you for that link, I immediately sent it on to 2 ladies that are seeking God to re-establish prayer in their church in a real way. It's a good resource. KDB |
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2006/12/15 11:47 | Profile |
ginnyrose Member
Joined: 2004/7/7 Posts: 7534 Mississippi
| Re: Confessions of a Proud Church | | Excellent! I will also copy this and share it with others - after studying it more....
Did ya'll ever think about it how pride really is the root of all sin? It thinks more of "I", "ME" then anything, anybody else, especially God. My opinions is superior to God's plain truth...etc.
Thanks for sharing, ginnyrose
_________________ Sandra Miller
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2006/12/15 18:31 | Profile |
sermonindex Moderator
Joined: 2002/12/11 Posts: 39795 Canada
Online! | Re: | | "The Church That would not Suffer" I have been looking for a title for a article and found it! Brother surely we are in a age where we will not suffer but want all the superficial blessings without it. Great additions brother Mike. _________________ SI Moderator - Greg Gordon
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2006/12/15 18:35 | Profile |